AN American schoolboy has taken his own life after a video of him allegedly performing a sex act was posted on social media.
Matthew Burdette, 14, left a note saying he couldn't “handle school” any longer before killing himself during a Thanksgiving holiday with his family, two weeks after the alleged incident.
It’s believed Matthew was asked to leave class at the University City High School in San Diego for eating inside, before visiting the bathroom.
A classmate then allegedly secretly filmed him in a cubicle masturbating before posting the video on SnapChat.
The Mirror reports that Burdette’s parents are now suing the school for $1 million, claiming school staff were aware of the video and bullying but did nothing to prevent it.
A claim against the San Diego Unified School District states: “From the moment the video was posted, Matthew was mercilessly bullied, harassed and teased by students who had seen the video.”
“Matthew’s once positive and outgoing personality was now wrought with insecurity and depression,” it said.
The state of California has an anti-bullying law which could see the boy who filmed him in the bathroom charged.
He was arrested by the San Diego Police Department over the incident, with a juvenile court hearing set for July 23.
School officials issued a statement earlier this week saying “At San Diego Unified, the safety and wellbeing of our students is a top priority,” the statement said. “The district also adheres to the privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations related to students, families and ongoing investigations.”
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