VOLUME 37 • NUMBER 20 • APRIL 11, 2019
Since 1982
www.villagerpublishing.com
TheVillagerNewspaper
@VillagerDenver
Creek students protest teen suicide and bullying #JackStrong – a movement at Cherry Creek High School (CCHS) April 5 to shine a light on problems associated with bullying and teen suicide after freshman, Jack Padilla, took his own life Feb. 14.
According to his big brother John, Jack had been allegedly bullied by other students to the point he took his own life. A second Cherry Creek student committed suicide this semester, as did two students at Arapahoe High School last semester and one each at St. Mary’s and Valor
in the previous two weeks. The CCHS students organized the walkout to demand the culture at CCHS, and society as a whole, to stop treating mental illness as something to be ashamed of. One student said that those with depression, should not have to be ashamed “that
you fought and won the battle with mental illness.” Although students gathered in the quad, they quickly walked across Union Avenue to where CCHS had asked the media to stay while the protest took place, shutting down the street in front of the school. Several students spoke
about how the culture in the school needs to change and that it wasn’t until recently that teen suicide and depression was even mentioned within the school walls. After the protest, Jack’s big brother, John spoke to media
Continued on page 2
SUBSCRIBE TO THE VILLAGER TODAY - CALL 303-773-8313 X301
3334 Tweet Place, The Keep, Colorado | Offered at $3,299,000 Paula Mansfield Community Sales Manager Steve Redmond Broker Associate 720-539-0610 303-359-7559