James was a well-liked high school junior. Active in after school sports, he was considered by many to be a “popular”student. However, over the course of the past year, James had developed a serious alcohol problem. In fact, his drinking at weekend parties had become something of a local legend. Friday after school, James’girlfriend broke up with him claiming that she could no longer tolerate his drinking. Distraught, James went home, got drunk, found his father’s rifle and shot himself in the head. Quickly discovered by a classmate, who had stopped by for a visit, James was rushed to the hospital.
    Tragically, however, he was declared dead upon arrival. In a suicide note, James declared that if he could not be with his girlfriend he did not want to live. By the start of school on the following Monday, this death had been classified a suicide by the coroner’s office. Reacting to the social stigma surrounding suicide and fearing other such deaths, the school principal suggested that staff not talk “to much”about this tragedy. The stunned staff, anxious talking about suicide in the first place, took this as cue to try to deny the magnitude of this tragedy. Very little classroom discussion occurred.