Bully: It's Time to Take a Stand, directed by Lee Hirsch

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BULLY: It's Time to Take a Stand -- Illustrated Screenplay
directed by Lee Hirsch
© 2011 Where We Live Films

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[Transcribed from the movie by Tara Carreon, ABOL Librarian]

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PART 1 OF 2

Screenplay:

The Weinstein Company

[Tyler Long] [laughing]

[blows raspberry]

[David Long] From the day Tyler was born, I was probably the proudest dad in the world. Because he was the firstborn, he was the first son.

[Tyler Long] [laughing]

[David Long] He always had that laugh about him that was just ... I don't know, it was infectious.
It caught you.
Keep going! Keep going!

[laughing]

One more time. Let's go.

[Tyler Long] See, Papa, see? See, I can do it. Papa, see? I can do it.

[David Long] As he grew older, he kind of reverted and was a loner.

[indistinct singing on TV]

[David Long] He couldn't stand large crowds, he couldn't stand the noise of it all.

[Tina Long] Here, let's see the window.

[David Long] I knew he would be victimized at some point in time.

[Tina Long] Tyler?

[Tyler Long] What is it, Dad? I need a camcorder.

[David Long] Tyler was never the most athletic.
All right, y'all tell me what y'all think about snow.
When he was in P.E., he was always the last one to be chose. Nobody would be on his team because they said he was a geek ...
and he's a fag, and they didn't want to play with him.
And it took a toll on him early in middle school ...
to where he ... he cried.
And then he got to a point to where he didn't cry anymore.
And that's when it became difficult to truly understand what he was going through.

[Tyler Long] Is this in position?
Kimberly, if you see this tape, this is me, I'm talking in the camera.
But I just wanted to say that I really love you very much.
If all the kids insult you and all things like that ...
forget about them.

[David Long] The last couple days we had heard that he had had his head shoved into a wall locker.

[boys laughing]

[David Long] Some kids had told him to go hang himself, that he was worthless.

[Trey Long] Hand me it. [giggles]

[David Long] And I think he got to the point to where enough was enough.

[Tina Long] Tyler, what are you doing?

[Tyler Long] Drawing.

[Tina Long] You doing your homework?

[Tyler Long] Yes.

[Tina Long] You drawing Daddy a picture?

[Tyler Long] Yes.

[Tina Long] Say hi to Daddy.

[Tyler Long] Hi, Daddy.

[David Long] I still think he's going to come through that door.
And I know he's not.
Come here.

[Tyler Long] [babbles, laughs]

[David Long] Well, come here.
Basketball.
If there is a heaven, I know Tyler's there.
And all I can do is have the faith ...
that I'll be able to see him again.
That's what I have to live for.
And I have to live for my other two kids, and I have to make their life as comfortable and as pleasant ...
and as peaceful as I can.

Tyler Lee Long, born April 25, 1992.

Died October 17, 2009. Age 17.

***

The Weinstein Company and Where We Live Films Present

In association with Because Foundation

The Einhorn Family Charitable Trust
The Fledgling Fund
National Center for Learning Disabilities
The Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention

A film by Lee Hirsch

Music by Ion Furjanic, Bishop Allen

Edited by Lindsay Utz, Jenny Golden

Cinematography by Lee Hirsch

Executive Producer: Cindy Waitt

Produced by Lee Hirsch and Cynthia Lowen

Directed by Lee Hirsch

["Teenage Dirtbag" plays]
Her name is Noelle
I had a dream about her
She rings my bell
I got gym class in half an hour
Oh, how she rocks in Keds and tube socks
But she doesn't know who I am
And she doesn't give a damn about me
'Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby
Yeah, I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby
Listen to Iron Maiden, baby with me

[chorus vocalizing]

I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby
Come with me Friday
Don't say "maybe"
I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby
Like you
[chorus vocalizing]
Oh, yeah
Dirtbag
No, she doesn't know
What she's missing

BULLY

***

[crossing bell clanging]

SIOUX CITY, IOWA

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Papa?

[Philip Libby] Yes, dear?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] You have no cups that I can reach.

[Philip Libby] I have no cups?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] That I can reach.

[Philip Libby] Why not?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Because they're all the way back there.

[Philip Libby] Somebody, named "your mother" ...

[Alex Libby, Age 12] I feel good when I'm in this house ...
and when I'm with my family.

[Maya Libby] That's Papa's cup.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Yeah, I know.
Maya, my sister, she is annoying, but that's normal for a sister, so ...
Uh, then there's Ethan.
He's my six-year-old brother. He got all A's in preschool through kindergarten.
I'm proud of him for that.

[lively chattering]

Then there's Jada.
She talks a lot. [laughs]
Then there's Logan, my two-year-old brother ...
and my mama and my dad.
And then there's me.

[Maya Libby] L-O-S-E-R. What does that spell? "Alex."

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Wow, sisters are annoying.

[Maya Libby] Your face is annoying.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] [chuckles] People, uh, call me "fish face." I don't mind.

[Maya Libby] You got called "fish face," too? I got called that all the time in third grade.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] You did?

[Maya Libby] Yeah.
Come here, come here, come here.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] What?

[Maya Libby] [whispering] Body slam!

[Alex Libby, Age 12] [laughs] Oh, your foot!

[Maya Libby] Isn't it tasty?

***

[Schoolbus] [beeping]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] I feel kind of nervous going back to school 'cause ... I like learning, but I have trouble with making friends.

[Jerry] What's up, Alex?

[Boy 2] Don't piss me off and that won't happen.

[Jerry] OK. [laughing]

[Boy 2] I'll kick your ass.
Don't do that.

[Jerry] I'm not hitting you.

[Boy 2] You hit me in the nose.

[conversing indistinctly]

[Jerry] Don't even think about watching.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Oh, OK.

[Jerry] Or I'm gonna throw you on the ground and start kicking the crap out of you.
I'll break your Adam's apple, which will kill you.

[train whistle blows]

[indistinct conversation]

[students chattering]

[Boy 3] Hey! No, you didn't!

[Boy 4] What's up?

[Boy 5] S'up?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Hey, you're my buddy okay?

[Boy 6] I'm not your buddy.
I will fucking end you, and shove a broomstick up your ass.
You're gonna die fucking in so much pain.
I'll cut your face off and shit.
I'll bring a knife tomorrow.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Oh, OK.

[Boy 6] I'm gonna fuck you up. Know what I'm saying?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Yeah, I know what you're saying.

[EAST MIDDLE SPARTANS]

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Whoa, the fog must have slowed everybody down.
Go. Go, go, go.
Get to class.
And away we go.

***

[Coach] Listen up, everybody get your team and line up over there against the wall.
It doesn't matter which order.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Whoa, buddy, what happened? Come here.

[Boy 1] We just got ...

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] What in the world happened?

[Boy 2] Jose slammed my head into a nail. [sniffling]

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] I don't see any hole.

[Boy 1] He got hit pretty good.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Did he?
I'll bet you guys didn't like that, did you?

[Coach] Get in there, let's go. Get in there.
Let's go, let's go, let's go. Let's go, let's go, move around.
Come on, Jason, move around.
Watch the ball! [blows whistle]

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Hey. Are you in trouble?

[Boy] Not really.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] OK.
He's always such an unhappy-looking child.

[Boy] I see you guys laughing over there.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Now, Cody.

[Mrs. Pucilek, Teacher] [lecturing indistinctly]

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] [whispering] Cody, come here.

[Mrs. Pucilek, Teacher] You don't have a book? Oh, 'cause you just snuck in? We're on page 364. Maggie, go ahead and read it, please.

[Child] [reading out loud indistinctly]

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Mrs. Pucilek, open a window.

[Mrs. Pucilek, Teacher] Huh?

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Open a window.

[Mrs. Pucilek, Teacher] Can I do that without getting in trouble? OK.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Yes. Come here, sweetie.
Cody, can you tell me what's happening at lunch table?

[Cody] [stammers] He calls me a faggot.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Mm-hm. He does? How does that make you feel?

[Cody] Uh, it ... it breaks my heart.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] It breaks your heart. I see.
So what do you think we should do?
Tell me how to fix this. Tell me how to fix this.
I don't know. I don't have any magic.

[Teacher] Just, you know, and it's a really awful feeling.
How many people in here have, um, at least one friend?
OK. How many people in here have two friends?
How many people in here have more than two friends?
Almost everybody.

[students chattering]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] People think that I'm different ...
I'm not normal.
Most kids don't want to be around me.
I feel like I ... I belong somewhere else.

***

TUTTLE, OKLAHOMA

[Girls] [Laughing]

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] You can always count on something happening when you're walking down the hall at school and in the classroom ...
after school, when I'm walking home, uh ...
when I'm walking through the parking lot in the mornings, to school.
I wasn't welcomed at church.

[Girls] [giggling]

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] I'm not welcomed in a lot of people's homes.
I know these guys get called "gay" just for hanging out with me.

[Girl 1] Everybody thinks I'm a lesbian.

[Girl 2] Everybody thought we were lesbians right when we started hanging out.

[Girl 1] I'm straight.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] And she's straight.

[Girl 2] I'm straight.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] Like I told you, she's K-gay.

[Girl 3] I'm not straight anymore.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] We were walking back from lunch and these guys ...
there was probably like six older guys, driving in their mom's minivan.

[Girl 3] They were mostly jocks.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] I was gonna find out what their problem was ...
so I kinda walked in the road, and instead of slowing down or stopping to talk to me ...
they sped up and I flew onto the windshield.

[Girls] [giggle]

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] I couldn't have gotten hit by something cool, like a Jeep or something. I had to get hit by a minivan.

[Girls] [Cheering] [Clapping rhythmically]

[Spectators] [shouting]

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] Tuttle. Country town.

[Crowd] What did he say?

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] Friday night games.

[Girls] [chanting] Football, football. Let's play football!

[Boys] [chanting] Defense! Defense! Defense!

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] Bible Belt Oklahoma.
Any time someone comes around that's the least bit different ...
they make sure to put 'em down.
This is where I got the most crap. Playing basketball. I loved basketball.
But they just told me many times they don't want to touch me.
It's pretty much on that court was my worst year ever.
Every time I look at that board, I know my name should be up there.
I was told many times I could have got a scholarship.
I was a cutter.
I've tried to commit suicide three times.

[Bob Johnson] Once Kelby came out and the town learned about her, it was overnight. We've pretty much been isolated here.
There are people that we spent years with, side by side, coaching their children, that will not even wave to us anymore, won't look at us.

[Londa Johnson] We were sitting in the car one day, driving down the street, and I looked over at her, and it was just me and her in the car, and I said, "Kelby, are you gay?" And she started crying and saying, "Don't hate me. Please don't stop loving me." She never said yes, but I could tell by her reaction that she was and she was scared to death.
I mean, she grew up in a family that taught Sunday school and raised her to believe that that was a sin. [sniffles] And I think you feel that way until you're in that situation, and ... and then it's personal.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] They made it very clear that I wasn't welcomed at the school.
When I opened my locker, there was a note that said ...
"Faggots aren't welcomed here."
And the teacher was calling roll ...
and said, "Boys," and then he said, "Girls" ...
and then paused and said, "Kelby."
And another teacher told me how they burned fags, and kept talking about it with me in the classroom, and everyone was laughing.
And they knew it was hurting me, and they kept going.

[Bob Johnson] And I offered her the out. I said, "You know, we can go somewhere bigger. Somewhere where it's not gonna be like a microscope, and you're not gonna be an outcast, and if you want to do that I understand. We'll go. And from the very first day, she said, "No, if I leave, they win."
The school doesn't care. We've had so many meetings with the principal and the superintendent. And they all give you the same plastic smile and say, "Yes, I understand. I'll do everything I can." And nothing's ever done.

***

MURRAY COUNTY, GEORGIA

[Tina Long] I love you too.

[David Long] I'll see you here in a bit.

[Tina Long] OK.

[Teryn Long] Bye. I'll see you.

[Tina Long] [sighs] This was Troy's room, and this was Tyler's room.
And when David opened the door, that was Tyler's bed. And he saw the note lying on the bed.
But, of course, you can't see into the closet from here because it's just a door.
So when David walked in ...
is when he saw the inside of the closet, and there was Tyler. And then, of course, David yelled for me, and Troy got up.
So Troy ... saw everything.
He saw everything.
So we had to switch them. That's what we thought was best.
We put Troy on that side of the house ...
and moved Teryn on this side of the house and just repainted. Because that was the only way we could get through.
Because all we see when we come in here still [clears throat]...
is the picture of Tyler hanging there.
So we had to change everything, and now this is headquarters. Headquarters for the emails, headquarters for ...
our project of working to keep Tyler's voice alive.
[sighs] We took the shelf down.
We took the shelf down, you can see.

[Tap dance teacher] Breathe, breathe, breathe. Ready?
One, two, three, four, and five, six, seven, eight.

[continues counting]

[indistinct conversation]
Turn around, and ball change, and turns.
Your turns have been phenomenal today.
And drop over and roll. Up.

[Girl] Bye.

[Teryn Long] Thanks.

[Troy Long] Bye.

[David Long] When I found him that morning ...
we knew why Tyler did what he did. There was no doubt in our minds.
When you're in the shower and your clothes are taken ...
and you have no way of getting out of the gym other than walking out naked. When you're standing in the bathroom ...
and you're urinating and kids come up and push you from behind up against the stall and against the wall and you urinate on your pants. When you're sitting in the classroom, somebody comes by and grabs your books and throws them on the floor and tells you, "Pick them up, bitch." Those are things that happened to Tyler.
Did he ever come home with blood running down his face? No. It was the mental abuse and the not-so-physical abuse that Tyler endured. We can control what goes inside those walls, inside the school.
And the atmosphere has to be set completely by all the administration.
They are all part of the school system, and they're there to protect the kids. And if they don't, then this is what happens.
He had a target on his back. Everybody knew that.

***

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Hold on, hold on. Wait, wait here. Come by me.
Come on.

[Jada Libby] There's a car coming.
I don't want to go on ...

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Here, I just got these new shoes so ...

[Jada Libby] I got my own princess shoes!

[babbling]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Yeah, water?

[Jada Libby] Turn the water on.

[Jackie Libby] How'd it go?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Good and ...
nobody did anything to me today, so ...

[Jackie Libby] That's good.
How was your day?
Are you in there?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Yeah.

[Jackie Libby] Good to know. I'm glad you didn't have any problems today.
Next time I get the whole story, OK?
He doesn't share a whole lot.
He was always pretty quiet.
He was born at 26-weeks gestation. Uh ... so that's pretty far from 40.
Um ... and, uh ...
they came in and said that ... they said he wouldn't live 24 hours.
It's 13 years, so he made it.
My biggest goal for him is I need him to learn to communicate.
You spend all your free time with these little people. It's crazy to think you don't really know them ...
or what happens to them, or ...

[sighs] It's scary.

***

[students] [chattering]

[Boy 1] [Hits Alex]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] What?

[Boy 1] You feel that?
Hey, I texted you back.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] They must be coming in. Bringing them in, Vicky?
You all right, Cole?

[Boy 2] Mrs. Lockwood, I'm in the middle of this ...
and I'm sick and tired of it.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] No, no, no. You just go, OK?
Cole, stay right here. Right here.
I'm gonna ask you guys to shake hands. Can you do that?

[Boy 3] Yeah.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Shake hands.
Cole!
Cole!

[Cole] What?

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] You are not going anywhere.
He is offering his hand. And let this drop.

[Cole] [groans]

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] [To Boy 3] You may go.
Cole, I expected more.

[Cole] He criticizes me every single day.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Then why are you around him?

[Cole] I don't. He comes to me.
I try to get away from him, he follows me.
And he criticizes me, calling me a "P-U-S-S-Y."

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] OK, honey, that's not right, and he shouldn't do that.

[Cole] I don't even know why.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] But you know what?
He was trying to say he was sorry.

[Cole] He already did, and he didn't mean it because it continued on.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] You didn't mean it when you stuck out your hand, either.
So that means you're just like him, right?
What you don't like in him, you ...

[Cole] Except I don't hurt people.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] By not shaking his hand, you're just like him.

[Cole] Like someone who pushes you into walls ...
threatens to break your arm ...
threatens to stab you and kill you? Shoot you with a gun?

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] He apologized. Have you reported all that sort of stuff?

[Cole] Yes.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] OK, then it's been taken care of.

[Cole] And all of them said, even the cops said ... told him to stay away from me ...
and he doesn't.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] OK. All right. Can you try to get along?
I think you guys might be really good friends at some time.

[Cole] We were. And then he started bullying me.

[school bell rings]

[children] [chattering]

[Boy 1] [Hits Alex with a pencil]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Ow.

[Boy 1] [Hits Alex again.]

[Jerry] Two people to a seat, dumbass.
Get out of the damn seat! There's two people already here.

[Boy 3] [Hits Alex]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] They punch me in the jaw ...
strangle me. They knock things out of my hand ...

[Boy 4] [Strangles Alex]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] take things from me ...
sit on me.
They push me so far that ...
that I ... I want to become the bully.

***

YAZOO COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

[Barbara Primer] This is her comfort zone, to herself.
She was a basketball player.
These are her trophies, her awards.
Got her names on them and everything.
She's an honor student.
Yeah, she is an honor student. She said when she finished school ...
she said she wanted to go to the, uh, Navy, I think that's what she said.
Because she didn't want to see me work so hard, and she wanted to help me out.

[YAZOO COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER]

[Ja'Meya Jackson, Age 14]

[Barbara Primer] She said, "Mama, I'm sorry." She said, "I didn't mean to put you through this." She said, "I got tired of them messing with me, picking at me, day by day."
She said, "Mama, I wasn't trying to hurt nobody.
I just wanted to scare them."

[Ja'Meya Jackson] It all started back when school first began ...
and there was a lot of kids on the bus saying things about me.
I tried my best to tell an adult, but it got worse.

[Barbara Primer] It was about 8:30 to 8:45 when I got the call that morning.

[telephone ringing]

[indistinct chattering]

[Barbara Primer] I was shocked, because I couldn't believe that was my daughter. And I asked the lady, I said ...
"Are you sure you got my daughter?" And she said, "Yeah." I said, "Well, what is her name?" She said, "Ja'Meya Jackson." And it's like I just ... my heart just dropped.
'Cause I couldn't believe it.
I'm like, "She couldn't have gotten my gun."
And she said, "She got your gun."
And I'm like, "She didn't hurt anybody, did she?"
She said, "No, she didn't hurt anybody."

[Ja'Meya Jackson] It felt like everybody just turned against me.
It was like nine of them, nine or ten of them ...
calling me stupid and dumb ...
and they started throwing things at me. And one of the guys said something to me ...
and he threatened me, talking about what he was gonna do to me ...
and he'll fight girls, and everybody was laughing.
And I was telling him to be quiet, and he kept talking, and that's when I got up.

[Busdriver] What?
Now come here, baby.
Come here, baby.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] [muttering] Popped a gun on ...

[Busdriver] What did you do?
What are they doing?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] They're talking ...
and I pulled a gun on them showing up on my life now.
Y'all talking?

[Busdriver] Sit down and leave her alone.

[shouting indistinctly]

[Sheriff] At the point to where she takes the gun out, that's 22 counts of kidnapping.
She has 22 counts of attempted aggravated assault. She's got 45 total felony charges facing her.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] Y'all quit talking to me! Do not talk to me!

[Boy] Calm down!

[Ja'Meya Jackson] [shouting hysterically]

[Sheriff] For me, there's nothing, no amount of bullying or teasing, or picking on or whatever, there's nothing unless someone was actually ...
whipping on this girl every day, unless someone was hitting this young lady in the head and being physically brutal to her, there's nothing, to me, that justifies her taking the gun on that bus, I don't care what it is.

[Shouting continuing]

[Screaming]

[Boy] I got it, I got it, I got it.

[Busdriver] You've got it? You have it?

[Ja'Meya was tackled and disarmed by another student. No shots were fired.]

[Ja'Meya Jackson] The police, by the time I had walked up off the bus ...
he just grabbed my arms and put the cuffs up on me ...
and I walked to the car.

[Sheriff] Even though things came out as best as they possibly could have, if you added up all the years that she could get, it would be hundreds of years.

[Barbara Primer] [sighs] Yeah, that would devastate me.
I don't even know if I could live behind it.
I really don't.

[Woman 1] Our Father, who art in Heaven, we come to you right now gathered with bowed down heads, oh, Father God.
We ask you, right now, oh, Father God, in your dying son Jesus' name forever to have mercy upon us.

[Mercedes Banks, Ja'Meya's cousin] I just never thought I'd see this happening to this family.
I hate that she was getting bullied like that ...
and we couldn't do anything about it.
'Cause Ja'Meya don't mess with anybody.
It's going on in all schools, it's happening to all kids ...
and it's a problem that needs to be stopped. An end needs to be put to it now.

[Barbara Primer] That's right.

[Mercedes Banks, Ja'Meya's cousin] Children hurt themselves and hurt others all the time because of bullying.
'Cause parents don't talk to their children about not bullying.

[Barbara Primer] Right.

[Mercedes Banks, Ja'Meya's cousin] Teachers don't do nothing about kids bullying. The board don't do nothing. The principals don't do nothing. Nothing is done.

[Barbara Primer] [singing] If I never
Sing another song
Down here on this earth
I'll be singing
With the angels in my home
In my new home
I'll be singing
Oh
I'll be singing
With the angels in my home
In my new home

***

MURRAY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

[Woman Reporter] Claps, screams and questions ...
crowded a Murray County schoolroom this evening, all revolving around the recent death ...
of 17-year-old Tyler Long. His parents say unpunished bullying at the school led him to take his own life.

[David Long] There were numerous times ...
that I had to leave work to go to the school because of situations that arose with Tyler being bullied.
Their attitude was, "We can't stop kids from saying bad things.
We can't watch what every kid does at every moment."

[Tina Long] You don't want to take care of the problem.
And if you did want to take care of it, it would be took care of.

[Dean Donehoo, Murray County Dir. of Admin.] Bullying is a serious problem in American schools.
It would be ...

[Tina Long] In this school.

[Dean Donehoo, Murray County Dir. of Admin.] It would be unfair to say ...

[Tina Long] Let's be honest, this school.

[Dean Donehoo, Murray County Dir. of Admin.] OK, it would be unfair to say that we do not have instances of bullying.

[Mother 1] My baby was missing two and three days of school a week ...
because there's a gang of five boys threatening to beat him up at school every single day.
It was reported to everyone and nobody did nothing.

[David Long] "Kids will be kids, boys will be boys. They're just cruel at this age." And it was a continuous fight with them.

[Vickie Reed, Murray County Superintendent] The perception that the school is a haven for bullies is just not true.
Do we have some bullying problems? I'm sure we do.
All school systems do.
But is it a major overarching concern in our high school?
No, it is not.

[Five weeks after Tyler Long's death, David and Tina Long organize a town hall meeting about bullying in Murray County's schools.]

[3 Eyewitness News: Coverage You Can Count On]

[Tina Long] My name's Tina Long. I'm Tyler's mother. [sniffling]
Uh, I'm a nurse, and I appreciate y'all being here.

[David Long] I'm David Long. I'm retired military, and work with the BoEU, over on Fifth Avenue in extrusion as a department manager. And I, too, really wanted to thank everybody for coming out tonight and being here.

[Man] We have invited either superintendent or anyone from central office or school board members to participate. So I want to, right up front ...
if anyone's here from Murray County schools, we'd love to have you up here to represent the school system. OK, uh, we did invite them. I wish someone had come. That's all you can do.

[Jeff Johnson] My name's Jeff Johnson, and I run a business here.
I'm also a pastor at a local church. Some of the church kids came to me after Tyler had committed this awful thing, and they said that kids came to school on the next school day ...
with ropes around their necks. My question to the school board would be, why in God's name would some teacher, some counselor, somebody in enforcement not do something?
Because that is very derogatory to any kid.
That's like a slap in the face to these parents. And my question is, if bartenders are responsible for a drunk that goes out and kills an innocent person ...
how come the bullies are not responsible for the death of this precious child?

[Man] This is an awfully complicated and difficult issue. I know there's a lot of anger about the school system here.
But the school can't, by itself, change a child's behavior if they're going home ...
and not being reinforced at home to change their behavior.

[Mother 2] Good luck with that.
Most of these parents could really, I hate to say it, could care less.
We've been there, done that. You're not going to get them in there.
So then what do you do?
We've been in this scenario, and you couldn't get the parents involved. So then what do you do? And we went to the police. Their hands are tied. You go to the school, um, "Kids will be kids."
Um, "Let these girls work it out." Um, "Let your child work it out."
We'll, it's not just in school.
They go on the Internet, cell phones.
They can damage somebody's life, like they did to your son.

[Howard Ensley, Sheriff of Murray County] Yes, I'm Howard Ensley. I'm the sheriff here in Murray County.
We have school resource officers in the school, and they're there to protect the students.

[Tina Long] Mr. Ensley ...
last year when two children beat Tyler up, your school resource officer ...
refused to file the charges. I had to fight.
Here, what we get is, "Nothing's wrong.
We didn't do anything. Everything's fine."
But bottom-line here is, when you send your child to that school ...
it doesn't matter what parents that child has ...
they should be safe and protected. Period.

[David Long] There's a young man back there with his hand up.
Are you a student?

[DJ] Yes, I'm a student.

[David Long] OK, if you would.

[DJ] Um, I was a very good friend of Tyler Long's ...
and whenever you'd walk around that school ...
you notice that everybody gets bullied. And then the teachers just kind of shrug it off. As in, "Oh, he done something wrong to that kid ...
that's why he got what he got. And it's OK, it's just fine."
That's a load of daggom crap. It's a big lie.

[David Long] All right, DJ, thank you very much.

[Devon, Age 14]] I've been dealing with it for four years, and I finally got tired of it.

[David Long] So one day you'd had enough. What'd you do?

[Devon, Age 14] I just went off on the kid because I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't take it. It came to the point that, last year ...
I stayed out of school purposely to try to stay away from them.
I've been to my mom, my grandparents and the principal ...
all for the last three years, and they haven't done anything about it.
It's a shame that Tyler had to do what he done for people to notice what's going on in the schools at Murray County. It's a shame that he had to do this for anybody to notice it.

[David Long] We can make a difference. And we can make a difference for kids that don't have to go four years ...
of torment and sadness and not wanna go to school.
As I told the school board, my voice is not gonna fall silent. I will go to my grave until a difference is made.

***

[Devon, Age 14] I know what Tyler was going through.
I know how he was thinking about suicide.
They went around, they were calling me a pussy ...
shoving me into lockers, saying, "Eff you." And now, after I've actually stood up for myself, they just walk by me, like, "Oh, there's another kid. He's just another kid here at our school."
It really came down to the point ...
that I had to go, myself, and literally stand up for myself ...
for them to leave me alone.

[dog barking]

[Devon, Age 14] [sighs]
Come here, buddy. Hi, buddy. Calm down. It's OK.

[dog continues barking]

[Devon, Age 14] [whistling]
Hey, it's OK. TJ. TJ. Hey, TJ.

***

[children chattering]

[school bell rings]

[indistinct radio chatter]

[wind howling]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Well, I think this year we're gonna get 25 inches of snow.
I have to shovel it, though. That stinks.

[water running]

[Jada Libby] [indistinct murmuring]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Shut up.

[Jackie Libby in home movie] You gonna dance for mom? You want some faster music?

[Jackie Libby] You had just the cutest little face. You had the chubbiest little cheeks.
Look how cute you are.

[Philip Libby] What happened?

[Jackie Libby] [laughs]
There was one song I'd play ...
and he'd just bounce to the beat, back and forth.

[Jackie Libby in home movie] Alex, do you want to dance? Here.

["One Headlight" plays]

[Jackie Libby in home movie] [Laughs] Dance.
Hey! All right, that's my head.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] [laughs]

[Jackie Libby in home movie] Come on.
All right.

***

[Bailiff] All rise.
Yazoo County Youth Court is now in session.
Judge Derek Parker presiding.

[After two months awaiting trial in a secure psychiatric ward, all charges against Ja'Meya are dropped. She is turned over to State's custody, and will remain hospitalized until released by her doctors.

[Barbara Primer] It's over.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] Not yet.

[Barbara Primer] It is. What do you mean?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] I'm still here.

[Barbara Primer] [laughing] I'm saying the hard part is over, sweetie.
You're going home.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] In three months.

[Barbara Primer] You don't know, you keep saying three months. You gonna speak three months, and it's gonna be three.
You hear?
You gaining some weight. Them thighs, girl.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] I just wanna get bigger, plumper.

[Barbara Primer] What?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] I wanna get plump.

[Barbara Primer] No, you don't.
You gonna look a hot mess.
Uh-uh. You don't want to get too big, Ja'Meya. So the doctor said you're doing good. OK? You stop being all that, 'cause he said you were doing good.
He told me you were doing good. Said, "She doing real good."
[sighs] You wasn't thinking, and you made a big mistake.
Don't cry.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] I want to go home, Ma.

[Barbara Primer] I know, baby. You're going. You're going, Ja'Meya.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] [sniffling]

[Barbara Primer] You're going home.

[Ja'Meya Jackson] [sniffling]

[Barbara Primer] It'll be all right.
I want you to work on getting yourself together, OK? So you can come home. Might not be but a month or two. All right?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] OK.

[Barbara Primer] I'm going to go see where the doctor's at.
I'll see you in a bit.

***

[indistinct chattering]

[Girl] As you're voting, vote for the candidates you can trust and rely on.
This is not a popularity contest.

[Trevor] If we work together to show how great we can be with our behavior and grades, we can make East Middle a better school.
Remember, a vote for Trevor is the best vote ever.
Thank you.

[Teacher] Next, we have Chloe Albright.

[Applause]

[Chloe Albright] Hey, guys, my name is Chloe Albright.
I am here giving this speech because I would like to be ...
East Middle's next student body president.

[students chattering]

[Teacher] Zip that up, zip that up.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] It got ripped. It can't zip up.

[girls laughing]

***

[admin]

PART 2 OF 2

[Philip Libby] Alex?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] What?

[Philip Libby] Come here.
What happened this week on the bus? Anything?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] This high-schooler was strangling me ...
but I think he was just messing around.
He, uh, calls me the b-word.
And he says that I'm ...

[Philip Libby] That's not messing around.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Well, he says I'm his b-word.

[Philip Libby] That's not messing around.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] But I think when he strangles me he's messing around.

[Philip Libby] That's not messing around, either.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] OK.

[Philip Libby] Who knows, next year this high school kid, instead of picking on you, is gonna then pick on your little sister.
And what are you gonna do about it? 'Cause you're her big brother. You can't let this stuff go on.
'Cause then people just start seeing you as a punching bag. Nobody respects a punching bag.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Well, if Maya gets picked on, I'll tell somebody about it. But if I get picked on ...

[Philip Libby] You should stop it now.

[Maya Libby] You're starting to make me scared to go to middle school.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Why?

[Maya Libby] 'Cause if you get picked on, I'm gonna get picked on.
I already get picked on at school 'cause you're my brother.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Well, that makes a lot of sense.
Why do you get picked on 'cause I'm your brother? That makes no sense at all.

[Maya Libby] Kids don't like you at my school. They think you're creepy.

[train whistle blows]

***

PERKINS, OKLAHOMA

[dog barking]

[Reporter] Tonight, a tragic situation has shaken a small Oklahoma town to its core.

[Reporter 2] A Perkins boy, just 11 years old, believed to have been desperate enough to take his own life.

[Reporter 3] The very guns that Ty had learned to respect, his family says, he turned on himself.

[James Ramsey, Perkins-Tryon Superintendent] At this time, we're looking into all avenues ...
to try to figure out why this tragedy occurred.
At this time, there's no indication that bullying was a factor.

[Reporter 4] But despite what the superintendent says, friends say Ty Field was the victim of bullying.

[Ty Field-Smalley, 1998-2010]

[Trey Wallace, Ty's Best Friend] There was this kid that picks on him all the time.
He came up to him and started being mean, and I told him that he needed to leave because we didn't want any problems.
When I saw him last, he was really sad and crying.

[Laura Smalley] [mutters]

[Kirk Smalley] You can do it. I don't want to, either.
I'm right here and you're in my arms.

[Laura Smalley] I know.

[Kirk Smalley] We'll tuck him in one more time.
We'll put him to bed.
Tuck the baby in one more time.

COYLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

[man whispering]

[Trey Wallace, Ty's Best Friend] [sobbing]

[Man] Everybody turn to face the casket.
Pass it to the person next to you. [continues indistinctly]

[Minister] I believe most strongly in my heart ...
that when a child dies, they go straight to be with God. They go straight to his presence. But what does that leave for us ...
the ones who are left behind?

***

[birds singing]

[Kirk Smalley] We're just a couple of simple people.
You know, we're ... we're nobodies. I guarantee you if some politician's kid did this because he was getting picked on in a public school ...
you know, there'd be a law tomorrow. There'd be changes made tomorrow. You know? We're nobody. But we love each other, and we loved our son.

[Laura Smalley] [sobbing]

***

[Trey Wallace, Ty's Best Friend] We'd go and work on our clubhouse. It's way back out in the woods, and no one but me and Ty knows where it is.
We would just entertain ourselves for about five hours.
It would feel like 30 minutes. Just hanging out, having a good time.
Ty was just the coolest kid I knew.
This, right here, is the main part of it, right up here.
When we got bored we'd go down in there and hunt for rabbits and stuff.
[sighs]
And then the secret part is way back there that no one's allowed to see.
Bullying's not cool. And I'll tell you ...
in the second grade, I tried to fit in with so many people that I was probably the biggest bully in the whole school, when I was in second grade. But once I got into third ...
In third, I started to realize what a jerk I was being to kids and what it could do.
And then in fourth I really started realizing that it's gonna hurt someone ...
so I decided to be cool with everyone.
Even when people would bully him ...
Id, like, I'd get so angry, and I could ...
I think I could have hurt those kids so bad that done something to him.
Like they'll push him down and say, "Shut up, spaz. You're a spaz" ...
or throw him into a locker or shove him into one.
And I'd just, like, go to take off after them and he'd be like ...
"Trey, it's not worth it. Be better than them. It's all right." And then he'd walk off with a smile.
And I don't know how he could do it.
He was way stronger than I was.
If it was up to me, if I was the king of the United States ...
I'd make it to where there was no popularity ...
everyone was equal, because that's how it should be.
A rabbit. Me and Ty would have been after that so quick.
I wonder where it went.

***

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] [sighs]

[Girl 2] I just got rain in my eye!

[thunder rumbling]

[Girl 2] I hate the rain.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] I love rain.

[Girl 2] I like it, like ...

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] You know what my philosophy is?
My philosophy about rain is?
You know how when people can't hold it in anymore, they cry?

[Girl 2] That's what ... ! Yeah, and they like ...

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] The world is taking so much in ...
that it can't hold anymore, that's why it rains.
'Cause it's letting go.

[Girl 3] Oh my God!

[All exclaim] Lightning bolt!

[Girl 4] Did you see it?

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] No, rain got in my eye.

[indistinct chattering]

[Girl 4] That is so awesome.

[Boy] I'm getting wet.

[Girl 4] Thunder is amazing.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] Tyler, Summer, Caitlin, Brooke ... If I didn't have them ...
I wouldn't be here.
For sure, like 100 percent.
They are everything that makes me get up ...
and walk in the doors to school every morning.
I couldn't do it without them.
I've got my, what, four-foot-ten girlfriend to protect me?
She saw flowers.

[Girl 5] Give me my shoes!

[Girl 4] No! That's Kelby's.

[Girl 5] She's more important than you.

[Boy] [laughs]

[Girls] [scream playfully]

[Boy] Jump and I'll catch you.

[Girl 5] Would you catch me?

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] You know, I just keep thinking that maybe ...
I'm the one that is in this town that can make a change.
I don't want them to win, and I don't want to back down ...
and maybe all it takes is for one person to stand up.
You're not just standing up for you.
You're standing up for all the kids ...
that go through this every single day.

***

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] These are my special little cherubs, right here, that are getting on these buses. These are the ones that you pray every night that they get home safely.

[Jerry] Get your ass off my book bag.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] OK. Here.

[Jerry] Move! Move!

[children chattering]

[Jerry] I'll beat your ass.

[Thomas] [Hits Alex]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] [groans] [grunts]

[Thomas] [Hits Alex again, real hard]

[Boy 2] [shouts]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] What?

[Boy 3] [Hits Alex real hard]

[Boy 3] [Punches Alex again]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Why are you punching me?

[Boy 3] Punches Alex again and again and again.

[Boy 4] I'll use my cell phone, bitch.

[Boy 3] [Punches Alex again real hard]

[grunting]

[Boy 5] Little bitch.

[Boy 6] Come on!

[Alex Libby, Age 12] No, no, no. Ow!

[Boy 3] [Stabs Alex with a pencil] Bitch!

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Why you stabbing me with it?

[Jerry] Gonna knock your fish lips off!

[Boy 3] Bitch! [slams Alex's head against the seat]

[Jerry] Give it to him hard.

[Boy 3] Bitch! [Hits Alex again]

***

[rain pattering]

[Due to escalating danger to Alex, the filmmakers shared footage of him being bullied with his parents and school officials.]

[Jackie Libby] I would've never guessed in a million years it was that bad.
Do you understand that, at some point, you've gotten used to this?
And I'm not. I'm not used to it because I didn't know. And I'm not about to get used to it.
Does it make you feel good when they punch you? Or kick you? Or stab you? Do these things make you feel good?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Well, no. Well, I don't know.
I'm starting to think I don't feel anything anymore.

[Jackie Libby] [sighs] I don't understand, Alex. Friends are supposed to make you feel good. That's the point of having them.
It's someone else on the planet you can connect with.
Your only connection to these kids is that they like to pound on you.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] If you ... if you say these people aren't my friends, then what friends do I have?

***

[Jackie Libby] I'd like to see Kim or Paula or someone?

[Woman] OK. Are you guys together?

[Jackie Libby] Yes.

[Woman] OK.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] How can I help you guys?

[Jackie Libby] My voice is shaking. I'm very upset.
I'm gonna be honest. I'm upset enough I don't want him to ride the bus anymore.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] What bus is he on?

[Philip Libby] Fifty-four.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] OK.

[Jackie Libby] It's absolutely not acceptable. I mean, they're stabbing him with pencils ...
and choking him, and ...

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Buses are notoriously bad places for lots of kids.
I ... You know, I wish I could say I could make it stop on that, but I'm not gonna lie to you.
I can't. Um, but what we can do is we can get him on another bus.

[Jackie Libby] So if I put him on another bus I have, what, little to no guarantee that he'll be safe on that bus, either?
When I was on the bus, when I was a kid, if you got out of your seat, they pulled over ...
the whole world stopped until everybody sat down and shut up.
Like, how come they don't do anything now? They just drive.
Like, there should be more responsibility than that. She's ... [stammering] ...
It's gotta be heard, at least, and they're up, running up and down the hall of the bus.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Now, I've ridden 54. I've been on that route. I've been on a couple of them.
They are just as good as gold.
I feel real bad that this happened.

[Jackie Libby] You send your kids to school with the assumption that if they're out of your care ...
they're in someone else's who is just as capable as you ...
of keeping them safe, and I don't feel like that.
He's not safe on that bus.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] I don't, either. I don't either.
It's hard. It is hard. And you know what?
This was my day on Thursday.
This is my granddaughter and her new baby brother.
I'd be sitting there, crying, just like you if anything happened to those two kids.
See my new baby, huh?
We don't want anything to happen to these babies.
Any of them.
This is totally wrong, totally wrong that this situation would happen. Absolutely.

[Jackie Libby] But it just seems to me, if its a few kids, then you take away the few kids.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] [sighs] You'll just have to trust me ...
that we'll take care of that other child.
And I really am glad you came in.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] [Stands up and indicates the meeting is over]

[Philip Libby] Come on.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] Goodbye, sweetie.
Thanks again.

[Philip Libby] Thank you.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] I'll talk to you later, OK?

[Philip Libby] All right.

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] We're sorry about this, but we will take care of it.
Wait for your mom.

[Jackie Libby] What did she say when we were leaving ...
"We'll take care of it"? I'm pretty sure that's what she said in the fall.

[Philip Libby] Yeah.

[Jackie Libby] She politicianed us. She's not gonna do anything.

***

[365 STUDENT CENTER]

[Kim Lockwood, Assistant Principal] If something is not done, and the kids don't hear about it ...
it will say, "Oh, this is fine."

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] What I'm doing is investigating what happened to Alex the other day. Do you ...

[Super Bully] Alex the red ... the red-haired one or the blond-haired one?
Can you tell me a little bit about it? 'Cause I don't know, really, much about it.
I've seen people doing stuff to him, but I don't know nothing about, like, what's really been going on.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] [To a bunch of kids] Have you ever seen anything happen to him on the bus ...
that would be considered hurtful?

[Boy] Not that I know of.

[Girl] Teddy and other people, like, call him "fish face" on the bus.

[Thomas] It's jokes and stuff, and he even laughs about it. So, yeah.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] OK.
Hi, Jerry, come on in.
I understand that you haven't been getting along ...
very well with Alex Hopkins.

[Jerry] Um, sometimes we have, like ...
this kid from the high school that picks on me and him.
He's kinda chubby.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] Do you think that the bus is very safe, Thomas?

[Thomas] No.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] [To Super Bully] And have you ever hit him?

[Super Bully] Uh, yes, I have because he's really made me mad.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] [To Jerry] You will not be teasing anybody, or using bad words.

[Jerry] OK.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] You tell me "OK," and I'll believe it when I see it.

[To Super Bully] You will be talking to Officer Mattus, and you probably won't be riding that bus for the rest of the year ...
if you think that it's OK for you to hit people.

[To Thomas] "Go ahead, hit him, attack him, do it."
And that's going in your discipline file.

[Thomas] OK.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] All right? I'll be watching you.

[To Alex Libby, Age 12] What's one thing that you need to start doing that you haven't done?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Tell someone.

[Woman] Yes.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] Do you trust us that we'll do something when you tell us that someone's bothering you?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Well, in sixth grade, uh, you, uh ... did nothing about, uh, Teddy sitting on my head.

[Woman] On the bus?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Yeah, there's, like, a little knob.
Then, once you unlock that knob ...
you can, like, lift up the seats. And he lifted up the seat, put my head in it, sat on my head.

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] How do you know I didn't do anything?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] I don't know, 'cause ...

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] Alex, did he sit on your head after you told me?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] He ...

[Paula Crandall, Assistant Principal] I did talk to him.
And he didn't do that again, did he?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] No, but he was still doing other stuff after that.

***

[indistinct chattering]

[Barbara Primer] Come on, pop the trunk.

[chattering indistinctly]

[Ja'Meya Jackson] I'm home! Whoo!

[all laughing]

[Ja'Meya Jackson] I'm at home! I'm at home!
The house looks so better.
Oh! It looks so different.
Ooh! Ooh-whee.

[Barbara Primer] Ja'Meya, what do you think?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] Mom, the house looks so pretty.

[Barbara Primer] Huh?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] It looks so pretty.

[Barbara Primer] What?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] It's just like my first time here.

[Barbara Primer] Why do you keep turning the lights off?

[Ja'Meya Jackson] Oh, my bad.

***

[Alex Libby, Age 12] [chuckles]
"Sometimes sweetness and love is all you need.
Dear Mother, I want to thank you for all you have given me: love, trust, care, help, fun, life.
Happy Mother's Day. This coupon is good for one chore.
This coupon is good for one breakfast in bed. This coupon is good for three days of fun.

[all laughing]

[Jackie Libby] [clears throat] Mmm.
Kinda sucks that it's Mother's Day. I don't feel like a very good mother today.

[Philip Libby] Come here. Come here.

[Jackie Libby] [sobbing]

Alex, he just can't fit in. He tries.
He just comes across so weird to people, you know?
What really ticks me off is, like, if they got to know him ...
he'd probably be the most devoted friend they ever had.
I'm sure we haven't made things easier here, huh?

[Philip Libby] If he came home and told us this stuff, on a regular basis, when it happened, then we would've known.

[Jackie Libby] I imagine the only thing worse than him crying or breaking down in front of those boys when they're beating the crap out of him ...
is having to come home and tell you.
He wants to be you. Never sees you cry.

[Philip Libby] He's never around when I cry.

[Jackie Libby] Well, the next time he's around ...
I'm gonna punch you hard and you start crying.

[both chuckle]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Um, Mom? Can I ride my roller skates?

[Jackie Libby] If you change your pants.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] OK.

[Jackie Libby] If you fall, I don't want you to rip your slacks.

***

[Woman] May I have your attention, please, for afternoon announcements.
This is the last day of school for everyone.
And we want to wish you all a safe, happy, fun summer.
And we can't wait to see you in the fall.

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Why do you always have your hair like that? Like ...

[Boy 1] Like, my bangs are weird.

[indistinct chattering]

[Girl 1] [Gestures to Alex to autograph her back]

[Alex Libby, Age 12] OK.
Hold on, let me get your shirt still.

[Girl 1] Thank you. Hey, can I sign your shirt?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] Sure.

[chuckles]

[Girl 2] Do we get our things today?

[Boy 2] What is that?

[Alex Libby, Age 12] I don't know.

[Boy 2] Dumb, probably.

[Girl 1] Good to go!

***

[Alex Libby, Age 12] I don't believe in luck, but I believe in hope.
Right there and right there. There's the twins right there. Rebecca ... Oh! I can't tell them apart! There's Fatima, right there. I asked her if I could have a dollar at lunch, 'cause I wanted to buy a switch, but she said, "Maybe."
She has a cute nose.
[laughs]
Girls are like candy. Sometimes you want, like, a Hershey's bar, sometimes you want a Snickers bar. You can't really tell which one you want. Sometimes you want, like, a popsicle.
[laughs]
It's a complicated feeling. [laughs]
[throws pencil and it clatters]

***

[David Long] One more week. When you look back and you wonder where the year has gone, and what it would be like if Tyler was here. How would he be? How much would he have changed?
You just don't know.

***

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] Yeah, you know, I went in thinking it was gonna be a new year, and people were used to me. And I went into class, and the class was already full and I sat down ...
and everyone around me moved seats. Like every single person. I was the only one sitting in a little circle.
That was enough.
Maybe there's another place I can go try to make a difference.

[Bob Johnson] We've decided, as of this week, that we've pulled her out of school here.
I never knew what the saying, "You don't know what a person's been through until you walk a mile in their shoes."
I never really understood the depth of that meaning ...
until I had a gay child.
It has made me completely reevaluate who and what I am as a human being to see the ugliness that has come out.

[Kelby Johnson, Age 16] It took me a while to realize that you can't change it all at once. It's gonna take multiple people, at separate stages of people's lives, talking and making a difference.
It's not just gonna take me.

***

[Kirk Smalley] It's a little one-room schoolhouse ...
that my grandmother taught at a long time ago. And my family's been out in this area for over 100 years. Our farm's a Centennial Oklahoma Farm.
It's Progress.
This is home.
Ty's name is in the foundation of the house we're living in.
He helped me build it.
He worked his butt off. I can't go nowhere.
This is where worldwide organization takes place ...
for a guy that just got on the Internet about six weeks ago. It's a pretty amazing thing.
The idea came to me, and I started this group, Stand for the Silent, in Ty's memory, to take on bullying ...
and I threw the idea out there, and it took off like wildfire.

[Wristband: I AM SOMEBODY]

The Internet's an amazing thing. We ... we reached out to parents that have lost kids ...
in Illinois and Texas and Alabama. Parents of kids that are being bullied all over the world.
As early as this morning ...
we have received messages and phone calls ...
of three more rallies that we didn't know about.
They don't have power out there, on the south lawn of the Capitol ...
so we had to make our own.

***

[David Long] That's good.

[Teryn Long] OK.

[David Long] Ready?

[Tina Long] Yeah.

***

MURRAY COUNTY, GEORGIA

[David Long] At this time, I'd like to release the balloons ...
in honor of kids that have taken their lives from bullying ...
throughout the United States and from other countries.
Ryan Halliton.
Montana Lance.
Brandon Swartwood.
Scott Wells.
Ty Smalley.
And the last one ...
is my son, which is very dear to me, is Tyler.

***

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

[Kirk Smalley] Be the difference. Go out and find that one child ...
that new kid who just moved to town, standing over there by himself.
Be his friend. Smile. Be willing to help him up when he's pushed down.
Be willing to stand up for him. If we all do it together, we will change the world.
It starts right here, right now.
Let's get this done.

[Kids] Whoo!

[chattering]

[Kirk Smalley] Thank you, guys.

***

[Kirk Smalley] I'd like to thank each and every one of you for showing up tonight ...
to support these wonderful young men and women in their efforts to stop bullying.
I'd also like to say thank you ...
to all of those that are holding vigils worldwide, and they've worked their tails off to make this happen. They've done it out of love and support and respect for others, and love for not only their own children ...
they're doing it for you. They're doing it for your kids. They're doing it for each other.

***

LANSING, MICHIGAN

[Man over PA] These are my kids. I care about every one of them as if they were my own.

***

JOHNSBURG, ILLINOIS

***

JOSHUA, TEXAS

Montana Lance, 9 years old
Jon Carmichael, 13 years old
Hunter Layland, 15 years old
Ty Smalley, 11 years old
Eric Hohat, 17 years old
Jared High, 13 years old
Ryan Halligan, 15 years old
Brandon Swartwood, 18 years old
Jaheeen Herrera, 11 years old
Ben Vodden, 11 years old
Austin Murphy, 16 years old
Sian Yates, 14 years old
Cassie Gielecki, 15 years old
Julian Houts, 12 years old
Kristina Calco, 15 years old
Corrine Wilson, 13 years old
Tyler Long, 17 years old
Christian Taylor, 16 years old
Catt Joseph ___ Horner, 11 years old
Bree DeVries, 14 years old
Megan Taylor Meier, 15 years old
Alex Wildman, 14 years old
Jessica Logan, 18 years old
Stephanie Burlingham, 14 years old
Leanne Wolfe, 18 years old
Jeff Johnston, 15 years old
Desire Dreyer, 17 years old
Scott Walz, 18 years old
Matt Epling, 14 years old
Phoebe Prince, 15 years old

FamiliesAgainstBullying.org

Not 1 more. Do the right thing for every child every time, without fail.

Be Somebody. Take a stand.

STAND FOR THE SILENT

***

[Kirk Smalley] We all gotta continue what we've started today. I'm gonna kinda slide into the background now, uh ...
Me and my wife, we need some time to heal. I will never, ever stop fighting bullying wherever I find it.
I will fight bullying forever ...
because my son will be 11 years old forever. Thank you.

***

[David Long] I believe had more kids stepped forward when Tyler was being bullied ...
and took a stand alongside of Tyler ...
Tyler would still be here today.
Everything starts with one and builds up.
And if we can continue to increase the numbers ...
whether it be one by one, two by two ...
eventually we have an army, to where we can defeat anything.

[Tyler, Your Voice Will Be Heard]

***

EVERYTHING STARTS WITH ONE.

STOP BULLYING

SPEAK UP

WWW.THEBULLYPROJECT.COM

["Busted Heart" plays]
Follow me
To the shipwrecked shores
of a dark and strange country
I was born
A stranger thinking out loud
in a foreign tongue
I was out of place
I was looking all around
Just trying to find
a friendly face
But they're all gone
Did you ever think
Did you ever think?
Did you ever think think
Did you ever think think
A lot of people every day
who will surely drown
Did you ever think
Did you ever think
Did you ever think think
Did you ever think think
Who left me all alone
in this town?
And a busted heart
is a welcome friend
And when that heart leaves
what will you do then?
And if I cry
If I cry
Is that a sin?
And the wisdom is a whisper
And I'm trying
to understand
Understand
What I say
Where I sleep
When I breathe
What I do with my hands
What I think
Did you ever think
Did you ever think
Did you ever think think
Did you ever think think
A lot of people every day
who will surely drown
Did you ever think
Did you ever think
Did you ever think think
Did you ever think think
Who left me all alone
in this town?
And a busted heart
is a welcome friend
And when that heart leaves
what will you do then?
And if I cry
If I cry
Is that a sin?
Did you ever think
Did you ever think
Did you ever think think
Did you ever think think
A lot of people every day
who will surely drown
Did you ever think
Did you ever think
Did you ever think think
Did you ever think think
Who left me all alone
in this town?
And a busted heart
is a welcome friend
And when that heart leaves
what will you do then?
And if I cry
If I cry
Is that a sin?
And I'm finally cracking

Directed by Lee Hirsch

Writing Credits (in alphabetical order) Lee Hirsch ... (written by)

Cynthia Lowen ... (written by)

Cast (in credits order)
Ja'Meya Jackson ... Herself
Kelby Johnson ... Herself
Londa Johnson ... Herself
Bob Johnson ... Himself
Alex Libby ... Himself
Jackie Libby ... Herself
Philip Libby ... Himself
Maya Libby ... Herself
Jada Libby ... Herself
Ethan Libby ... Himself
Logan Libby ... Himself
Kim Lockwood ... Herself
David Long ... Himself
Tina Long ... Herself
Teryn Long ... Herself
Troy Long ... Himself
Devon Matthews ... Himself
Barbara Primer ... Herself
Kirk Smalley ... Himself
Laura Smalley ... Herself
Trey Wallace ... Himself
Tyler Lee Long ... Himself (archive footage)
Mercedes Banks ... Herself
Dean Donehoo ... Himself
Vickie Reed ... Herself
Jeff Johnson ... Himself
Howard Ensley ... Himself
Derek Parker ... Himself (as Judge Derek Parker)
Chloe Albright ... Herself
James Ramsey ... Himself
Paula Crandall ... Herself

Produced by Sarah Foudy ... associate producer

Lee Hirsch ... producer

Cynthia Lowen ... producer

Cindy Waitt ... executive producer

Music by Bishop Allen

Michael Furjanic ... (as Ion Furjanic)

Cinematography by Lee Hirsch

Film Editing by Jenny Golden

Lindsay Utz

Production Management Mary Molina ... post-production supervisor (as Mary Angelica Molina)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Alicia Dwyer ... second unit director

Sound Department Marco Alicea ... digital audio transfer

James Austin ... engineering services

Christopher Barnett ... sound re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor

Phil Benson ... executive in charge: Skywalker Sound

Kabe Cornell ... field sound recordist

John Countryman ... video services

Jesse Dwyer ... field sound recordist

Bob Edwards ... sound effects editor

Steven Gottlieb ... field sound recordist

Jonathan Greber ... production manager

Damion Haux ... field sound recordist

Pete Horner ... sound effects editor

Michael Levine ... digital audio transfer

Scott R. Lewis ... assistant sound re-recording mixer

Josh Lowden ... project manager

Charlotte Moore ... post production sound accountant

Steve Morris ... engineering services (as Steven Morris)

Al Nelson ... sound designer

Tom Paul ... additional sound editor

Gary Rydstrom ... sound designer

Tony Sereno ... sound re-recording mixer

Steven Tollen ... project manager

John Torrijos ... video services (as John 'J.T.' Torrijos)

Tony Villaflor ... recordist

Pascal Garneau ... sound effects editor (uncredited)

Drew Oliveras ... recordist (uncredited)

Daniel Sperry ... dolby sound consultant (uncredited)

Corey Tyler ... foley recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department Cole Cassell ... additional cinematographer

Cody Dulock ... additional cinematographer

Jamie Dulock ... additional cinematographer

Michael Dwyer ... second unit cinematographer

Joshua Gilbert ... additional cinematographer (as Josh Gilbert)

Duane Hart ... additional cinematographer

Billy Montross ... additional cinematographer

Andy Owen ... additional cinematographer

Philip Scarborough ... additional cinematographer

Rachel Buchanan ... additional cinematographer (uncredited)

Michael Dwyer ... steadicam operator (uncredited)

Editorial Department Greg Astor ... additional editor

Brett Brownell ... post-production assistant

Holly Buechel ... assistant editor

Don Ciana ... lab color timer

Ralph Costanza ... film recording producer

Will Cox ... digital intermediate colorist

Anna Hovhannessian ... assistant editor

Perry Levy ... post-production technical supporter

Lori McCarthy ... assistant editor

Leslie Norville ... post-production assistant

Diane Paragas ... additional editor

Sandy Patch ... additional digital intermediate on-line editor

Michael Pullano ... on-line editor

Gratianne Quade ... assistant editor

Owen Rucker ... digital intermediate on-line editor

Paul Sgroi ... film recording technician

Enat Sidi ... consulting editor

Caitlin Tartaro ... digital intermediate producer

Kaoru Wang ... post-production assistant

Nicole Woo ... assistant editor

Music Department Brooke Wentz ... music supervisor

David Bailis ... musician (uncredited)

Michael Furjanic ... music editor (uncredited)

Brian Satz ... composer: additional music (uncredited)

Maryam Soleiman ... music clearance (uncredited)

Other crew David Amato ... intern

Josh Braun ... distribution advisor

Brett Brownell ... post production assistant

Abbey Chaus ... intern

Jennifer Cordery ... intern

Ezra Doner ... additional legal services

Jonathan Gray ... production counsel: Gray, Krauss, Des Rochers

Alan Heisterkamp ... educational consultant (as Dr. Alan Heisterkamp)

Lee Hirsch ... researcher

Kristen Irving ... director of social impact campaign

Megan Isenstadt ... researcher

Houston King ... outreach producer

David Koh ... distribution advisor

Evan Krauss ... production counsel: Gray, Krauss, Des Rochers

Mike Lane ... client services

Amanda Lebow ... distribution advisor

Perry Levy ... post production technical support

Cynthia Lowen ... researcher

Emilia Mello ... researcher

Shelly Napolean ... client services

Leslie Norville ... post production assistant

Nuncle ... title designer

Ann Orrin ... intern

Eva Porter ... client services

Jordan Roberts ... development advisor

George Rush ... additional legal services

Kyler Schmitz ... intern

J. Stephen Sheppard ... additional legal services

Jeff Shinker ... intern

Anita Surendran ... associate production counsel: Gray, Krauss, Des Rochers

Gregory Unruh ... funding provided by: Gravity Films

Sophie Watts ... funding provided by: Gravity Films

Elise D'Orazio ... production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks Bristol Baughan ... special thanks

Jon Carmichael ... dedicatee

Vikki Ann Ernst ... special thanks

Ty Field-Smalley ... dedicatee

Montana Lance ... dedicatee

Tyler Lee Long ... dedicatee (as Tyler Long)

Jean McDowell ... special thanks

Hilary Stabb