Bullied GHS student commits suicide after first day of school

Greenwich High School seniors, Sean Thomalen, left, and Cristina de la Vega, speak with a Greenwich Time reporter regarding the suicide of a fellow student, after dismissal from school, Wednesday afternoon, August 28, 2013. A Greenwich High School sophomore, widely reported to have been the victim of bullying, committed suicide after the first day of classes Tuesday. Bartlomiej "Bart" Palosz, 15, shot himself to death Tuesday night at his family's home in Byram, police said. less Greenwich High School seniors, Sean Thomalen, left, and Cristina de la Vega, speak with a Greenwich Time reporter regarding the suicide of a fellow student, after dismissal from school, Wednesday afternoon, ... more Photo: Bob Luckey Photo: Bob Luckey Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Bullied GHS student commits suicide after first day of school 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

A Greenwich High School sophomore who for years was relentlessly bullied by his peers committed suicide after the first day of classes Tuesday.

Bartlomiej "Bart" Palosz, 15, shot himself to death Tuesday night at his family's home in Byram, police said.

First Selectman Peter Tesei said he has been told by people in the community who knew Palosz that bullying might have contributed to his decision to take his own life.

"It's just a really horrific tragedy, and I'm deeply saddened to hear of it," Tesei said. "I extend my condolences to the family."

The circumstances that precipitated Palosz's suicide are under investigation by Greenwich Police, who were reported Wednesday to be probing the bullying allegations and planning to interview students.

A preliminary investigation into Palosz's death has revealed the shot gun used in the suicide was family-owned and had been stored in a gun locker inside the home, Greenwich Police said.

Lisa Johnson, whose 13-year-old son, Izzy, was a close friend of Palosz, said Palosz had been bullied since he moved to Greenwich from his native Poland when he was in elementary school.

"He always was kind of awkward in his body and kind of clumsy and how he carried himself," she said. "He didn't exude confidence but he was a total sweetheart of a guy. But kids never appreciated that."

She added, "He was really polite and one of those people who always said `What can I do to help you?' He was above a lot of the pettiness. Adults appreciated that, but his peers didn't see that. They just saw him as different or weak."

Palosz had a close and loving relationship with his sister, Beata, who graduated this year from Greenwich High, Johnson said.

"They used to eat lunch together at school," she said. "She was one of his allies. She was like his protector."

School crisis teams on Wednesday convened at Greenwich High, Western Middle School and New Lebanon School, which are the schools that Palosz attended. Mental health personnel are providing counseling to anyone in need.

"We are looking very carefully at what has happened over the last number of years here," Superintendent of Schools William McKersie said, "so we can make sure that all our students going forward do not have to face the kind of decision that Bart made (Tuesday)."

Kim Eves, director of communications for the public school district, said the school system takes seriously the importance of fostering a positive school climate.

"Any indications that a student is experiencing significant mental health distress is addressed at the school level by personnel trained to recognize and respond to these concerns," she said. "Importantly, if any staff member believes that a student poses a danger to him/herself, or others, parents are notified and the student is immediately referred to outside supports and providers."

Growing up, Palosz became active with the Boy Scouts. He liked to play video games and volunteer at tag sales and the Byram Shubert Library. He was also an active social media user.

Palosz's Google+ page tells the story of a lonely kid suffering from frequent, often violent, suicidal thoughts. In between posts about anime characters and hunting for pheasants, he discussed his failed suicide attempts and the relentless bullying that precipitated them.

"Hey if I were to stab my eye out due to school caused insanity, who would miss me?" he wrote July 3 beside a photo of himself holding the tip of a knife to his pupil.

Four days later, Palosz posted a goodbye note on the social network.

"I have chosen to go with 3 peoples advice and kill myself," he wrote July 7 after telling his friends on the network that he had swallowed pills. "I just wish it was faster."

When other Google+ users in his network assured him his troubles would subside, he replied that he had been bullied at school every day for the last 10 years.

"I'm still alive," he reported the next day, "never trust my mind."

He then agreed with a user's request that he never attempt to kill himself again.

It seemed like Palosz's disposition had brightened last month when he offered his own advice to a Google+ user on how to stop bullies: "talking out of experience all you can do is ignore them and remember when your in the darkest part follow a small light and ignore the demons that keep you in the darkness," he wrote.

It was through social media that one of Palosz's friends learned of his death.

"He was my son's best friend," said a woman who visited the Palosz family's home Wednesday in hopes they would be there. "He was just at my house for a sleep-over this week."

Fighting back tears, the woman, who would not give her name, said she was in shock and did not believe it when her son told her Tuesday night that Palosz had killed himself. She visited the family's home Wednesday because she wanted proof that he was really dead, she said.

The family was not home, but a worker from Aftermath Services who was sanitizing the home told the woman it was true.

Johnson, whose son met Palosz when they were both students at New Lebanon School, said Palosz never fought back against his bullies. Instead, she said he tolerated the torment and hid under a happy disposition.

"We just saw Bart walking in the neighborhood the other day," she said. "He was by himself, with his headphones on. I think he was more in another world."

Palosz seemed overcome with the darkness in his world when he replied to a YouTube user who said she would like to get to know him and become friends.

"not much to know," he wrote a week before taking his own life. "I do most things alone, most people I ever met hate me and yeah thats pretty much it, any questions feel free to ask I have nothing to hide."

Staff writer Dan Tepfer contributed to this story.