Newton Searches for Answers After Suicides

The Newton South High School auditorium was filled on Tuesday night at a community forum in the wake of the third high school student suicide in the school year.

Newton South junior Roee Grutman took his life last week. Newton North senior Karen Douglas and Newton South sophomore Katie Stack committed suicide in October.

A day after Grutman’s funeral, Newton Mayor Setti Warren told the audience that the city is going to “attribute the appropriate resources” to tackle the issue of teen depression and suicide, reported the Boston Globe.

Warren was joined by Superintendent of Schools David Fleishman and mental health counselors.

Dr. Susan Swick, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, said suicide is not “contagious… One suicide doesn’t plant the idea in some other kid’s head and create a domino effect.”

She said people should stay connected to those who are feeling down or have problems and no one should worry alone.

Fleishman asked everyone in the audience to support Newton’s young people.

“We heard so much about how Roee was so available to his friends in their time of need,” said Fleishman, reported The Boston Globe. “In Roee’s memory, and in the memory of Karen and Katie, let’s do all we can to support our young people.”

Read the full Boston Globe article here.