‘Justice for Jason!’: Hundreds call for answers, honor Peabody middle schooler who took his own life

PEABODY, Mass. — Hundreds on Friday united to grieve the death of Jason Bernard, 14, outside his Peabody home just days after he ended his own life.

His family tells Boston 25 the 8th grader at Higgins Middle School was bullied.

Friday night, during a vigil in his neighborhood, parents, students, and community members remembered his life while spreading an important message.

“Justice for Jason,” the crowd chanted outside his home. “Together, we can stop bullying!”

Cely Rosario, Jason’s sister, spoke to the crowd, “We will not take it! Not anymore! No more bullying in Peabody! No more bullying in Massachusetts!”

Over the last week, multiple parents in Peabody told Boston 25 they, too, have seen bullying in the district.

Local leaders, Thursday, like Peabody’s mayor, said they have a long road ahead, but he’s ready to find community solutions.

Some of the concerned families were at Friday’s vigil.

“I just felt I needed to be here,” said one Peabody parent.

Michelle, a parent from Salem in Peabody, Friday, added, “To wake up and find your child unalive for words from other children that are probably going to suffer no consequences because that’s what happens daily... This is just unacceptable.”

Classmates of Bernard penned messages to him after lighting candles and releasing balloons in his honor.

One said, “It’s good that this many people care. But, it’s sad it had to happen.”

Peabody’s superintendent Josh Vadala called the death a tragedy in a letter to the community.

The statement read:

“I am writing to you at the close of an incredibly difficult week, as our community has come together to mourn the tragic death of one of our middle school students.

Our entire community is grieving. When this level of immeasurable tragedy strikes, it is impossible to try and make sense out of it as we work through grief and support one another. As families, students, teachers, staff, and the community at-large begin to process the grief in the coming days and weeks, it is critical for our community to come together and continue to support one another. I am grateful that is what happened here inPeabody this week, and as our students depart for the long weekend, I wanted to acknowledge the multitude of support shown to us from all over.

Over the course of the week, Peabody has received the support and resources of our neighbors and friends from throughout the North Shore. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the work of the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council STARS team. The resources and professionals brought to our city were a tremendous help during a time when even our own well-trained staff was experiencing and processing this loss. We appreciate the support of our Police Chief, Tom Griffin, and School Resource Officers Eric Ricci and Andy Long who, along with their comfort dogs Ella and Max, were joined by more than a dozen loving therapy dogs ready to provide comfort to our students and staff. We are also incredibly thankful for our counselors and nurses from across the district who provided immediate support to students and staff at theHiggins this week while also supporting their individual schools. In addition, our staff collaborated with the STARS team who continue to serve as a tremendous resource for our community in this time of need.

As educators, we often have to remind ourselves that we have Peabody’s children for only a small percentage of the day. We rely on our families to work alongside us, especially at a time like this. We recognize with gratitude the support and partnership of our school district’s families who have supported their children – and one another – during this very difficult time. Thank you.

Finally, I want to recognize our faculty and staff for their compassion for our families and students. Students look to teachers as pillars of support as the teachers themselves are grieving inside.

Please know that we are planning a community meeting around mental health, at the appropriate time, and I expect that it will be an open and safe environment. While this meeting is still very much in the planning stages, what I can share with you today is that we will partner with other community leaders to ensure a well planned and thoughtful event that will include resources for families. We are also working with our leaders incity government, including the Peabody Department of Health and Human Services, to guide our next steps.We will be in touch in the coming days with more information. For more resources visit our website&nbsp;<a href="https://peabody.k12.ma.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Mental-Health-Resources.pdf" rel="" title="https://peabody.k12.ma.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Mental-Health-Resources.pdf"><b>HERE</b></a><b>.</b>

Thank you for your continued compassion and support. I wish you a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

—  Josh Valda, Peabody superintendent

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