Cyberbullying: Phoebe Prince Trial Starts in March for One of Six Alleged Cyberbullies

A judge in Hampshire County Superior Court in Northampton, Massachusetts yesterday set a March trial date for eighteen-year-old Sean Muleyville, one of six defendants in the Phoebe Prince case. Fifteen-year-old Prince committed suicide on January 14^th after allegedly suffering months of bullying at school and online. Charges against the alleged bullies range from criminal harassment, violation of civil rights with bodily harm, assault, stalking, and even statutory rape.

Officials at Prince’s school, South Hadley High, have been under immense scrutiny by both the media and parents because they admitted to knowing about the bullying before Prince’s death but did nothing. On the day of her death, Prince was allegedly bullied in a school hallway and the library before a canned drink was thrown at her during her walk home.

“The investigation revealed relentless activity directed toward Phoebe, designed to humiliate her and to make it impossible for her to remain at school," said Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel to reporters. "The bullying, for her, became intolerable.”

Investigators believe the bullying began after Prince dated a well known boy at school, and some of the insults purportedly aimed at her included “Irish whore” and “slut.” The case has drawn worldwide media attention because Prince had emigrated from Ireland in 2009.

Prince’s death, along with the 2009 suicide of 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover who endured anti-gay bullying at a school in nearby Springfield, prompted Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to sign an anti-bullying law which covers both in-school and online bullying, and requires bullying education to be included in school curriculum statewide.

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