A family from Texas mourned the loss of 15-year-old Jaycee Crossland, a high schooler who brought a smile to everyone’s faces. The hashtag “#bekindforjaycee” has since been created after his death to advocate for mental health awareness and anti-bullying.
A TikTok video posted by Amanda Crossland showed 11-year-old Blake Crossland, Jaycee’s brother, on a home security camera. This was after Amanda, his stepmother, discovered Jaycee lying unresponsive in the closet of her bedroom on October 10, 2022.
Blake can be seen holding back tears and wiping his face. In another video with audio of the footage, Blake is heard saying “Jay shot himself,” and repeating it. Jaycee told Blake that he was going to grab the laundry in their parents’ bedroom, but never came back out. Paramedics were rushed to their home in Liberty Parke and the other children were taken away from the saddening scene.
Jaycee was a sophomore at Liberty Hill High School who loved working on cars with his parents, playing the guitar, listening to heavy metal, and video games. He suffered from macular hypoplasia and was legally blind, but that did not stop him from pursuing his interests. He was enrolled in The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at school and maintained an active role in the community.
After Jaycee passed away, the Crosslands found out that the bullying he endured at his school was more recurring than they thought. 11 days before his death, he proudly announced to his peers and loved ones that he was gay. His family fully supported and accepted him, but his classmates made degrading comments and called him slurs. Teachers and administrators turned a blind eye to the blatant bullying and Jaycee’s step-mom had to contact the bullies’ parents herself.
Amanda’s inbox was filled with other parents from the Liberty Hill Independent School District who had similar stories. Their children were also struggling with bullying and the district wasn’t doing anything to change the widespread issue. Many families had to relocate and pull their kids out of school.
“I’m not going to go down quietly. For our family it is too late, but for other families, maybe we can save a life.”
Amanda Crossland, Jaycee’s stepmother
This discovery led to Amanda creating a non-profit organization called “Jaycee’s Hope,” in addition to the hashtag “bekindforjaycee.” The organization dedicated to Jaycee works with suicide prevention and anti-bullying programs and welcomes open arms to the LGBTQ+ community. Amanda continues to post on her two TikTok accounts to spread awareness. Jaycee’s story sheds an extremely important light on bullying and suicide and how it can be prevented.
