UPDATE Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon today declined to comment on an open letter to him from the parents of 14-year-old Staples High School freshman Christopher Lanni that asked the administrator to investigate whether their son’s sudden death was related to cyberbullying.
Elliott Landon: at Jan. 5 BOE meeting where Lanni death discussed. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
“We have been in constant communication with the Police Department since Dec. 23 and have no further comment,” Landon said in a statement.
In their letter (see WestportNow Jan. 13, 2015), the parents asked to bring the police into the investigation if necessary. Social media posts by Westport parents during the holiday break speculated that Christopher had taken his own life as a result of persistent cyberbullying.
Westport police said today they have already investigated the death and turned up no evidence of cyberbullying.
“Nothing in this investigation uncovered anything that led us down the road to explore cyberbullying as a cause,” said Lt. David Farrell, a department spokesman.
“We request a thorough, professional investigation of allegations that Christopher was being bullied at school and/or on social media platforms (i.e. Instagram) by his fellow Staples students,” his parents Cornelia L. Gallo and Peter Lanni wrote to Landon.
The letter dated Jan. 6 was sent to Westport media Wednesday night. Christopher died in Yale-New Haven Hospital Dec.23, according to a family-supplied obituary. No cause was given for his death.
“As parents and as a mental health provider, we felt that a clear statement [was needed] about our concerns about issues affecting many others,” said Gallo, a psychiatrist.“Nothing can change our fate, but we hope that others can benefit from changes to address these recognized concerns.”
“Information has been brought to our attention that should not and cannot be ignored,” the letter continued. “Obviously it’s too late to impact Christopher’s life, but it’s not too late to help other kids in Westport who might be suffering or be at risk. We wish to express our intentions clearly and personally as to avoid any further speculation or confusion.”
The parents said several current Staples students “have reported observing bullying, humiliating or inappropriate behavior by one or more peer or peers toward others, and these students report that [they] do not know how to respond or intervene.
“They feel guilty and ashamed of their inaction and passive consent to the blatantly behaviors. This is a critical area needed to stop these types of malevolent behaviors.”
The parents told Landon “mobilizing the passive observers can change the culture. There needs to be education and support toward this end.”
The Board of Education observed a moment of silence for Christopher at its Jan. 5 meeting (see WestportNow, Jan. 5. 2015), and Landon denounced those who he said were spreading “misinformation” about Christopher’s death.
This story has been updated to include a Westport police statement that they found no evidence of cyberbullying.
