The recent suicide of a Santa Clara teen has left many reeling, trying to untangle the circumstances that led to his death.
Last week, 14-year-old Jose Zamora took his own life. Since then, school officials and police have been trying to get to the bottom of the boy’s death. Zamora’s father, Jose Bautista, has claimed his son’s teammates on the football team bullied him for being homeless and motherless, spitting on him and hitting his helmet.
After being evicted from their apartment earlier this year, the boy and his father were staying at the Bill Wilson Center, 3490 The Alameda, in Santa Clara. Zamora has only been a freshman at Santa Clara High School for a few months prior to his death. His father has said Zamora was struggling with mental health issues.
Pilar Furlong, a spokesperson for the Bill Wilson Center, said the organization is “aware of the situation and are cooperating with the investigation currently underway.” A followup email attempting to get in contact with Baustista went unanswered.
In a statement, Dr. Gary Waddell, Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) superintendent, wrote that the district has received reports of bullying at Santa Clara High School and has started an investigation, adding that SCUSD “takes such allegations seriously.”
Toward that end, “administrators have already taken initial actions in response,” he wrote, but the statement does not detail what those actions are.
“The health and safety of our students are our primary concern, so SCUSD offers multiple systems of support to you, your children, and their friends to ensure the physical, social, emotional, and academic well-being of our students,” Dr. Waddell wrote.
SCUSD has “compassionate, professionally-trained” teachers, mental health counselors, psychologists, social workers and administrators, Dr. Waddell wrote.
Additionally, the district’s Mental Health and Wellness Resources webpage contains information to help families. Anyone needing immediate assistance should call the three-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 9-8-8, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text “START” to 741741.
SCUSD also offers students a 24/7 virtual counseling service called To Be Honest.
The Santa Clara Police Department issued a news release on Friday, Nov. 15. The department says it is an “open and active” investigation and detectives are reviewing the facts and circumstances to “help provide a complete picture of this tragic event.”
This includes reviewing all factors, including bullying.
Bautista has started a fundraiser to pay for the cost of Zamora’s funeral.
This is shameful!
The immaturity of these questionable individuals ( with zero soul)should be punished with related community service for their actions at a minimum of their time in high school. Counseling is obviously needed as well as these questionable individuals AND their parents!
Up and down the entire school system people should be held accountable and fired. The football coach, the principal, the superintendent and the entire school board.
This is the same school and school board that oversaw the sex predator named Dominic Caserta even after having multiple reports of sexual harassment from female students. It’s the same school that leaked his personnel file, and the same school board that settled with him at the expense of taxpayers to the tune of millions of dollars.
The school and the school board is rotten to its core. A bunch of has-beens that take no accountability for their mismanagement and keep getting elected over and over with no term limits. The only reason they’re not in the limelight is because our City Council is that much more rotten so by comparison the SCUSD board look like angels.
Pink slips should be in order as are resignations from the board.
I hope the Jose’s father sues them to hell and back. RIP.
This is a tragedy and as a parent of children in the district I would like to see some accountability for those who have been entrusted with the safety of ALL students. The board can say all they want that bullying isn’t tolerated yet have they shared what steps and practical measures they have taken to protect our kids? Cracking down on bullies at the administration level would be the first step. “I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do” – James Baldwin
Speaking as a parent of a young man at SCHS.
There is nothing on the school website or District website even offering mental health resources or any words speaking against bullying! SCHS and the district have to be held accountable. Speak on what you have done to hold those involved accountable!! Spitting on someone is a criminal offense and it should be treated as so! If there is no stop to this now and these kids aren’t held accountable, it sends a message to bullies, victims, families and community members everywhere.
Everyone involved should receive mental health treatment. Hurt people hurt people!!! Wake up parents of SCHS! Stand up for your children!
The system failed again, school district, police, bill willson center, child protection services, the courts,all of them. But parents too!!
Get rid of all administration at the school including football coaches for allowing the football thugs to cause the death of a fellow student.These football players obviously have horrible parents !very sad
First and foremost, I will pray for Jose and Mr. Bautista and the loved ones of this precious child Jose, who suffered at the hands of hoodlums of SCCSD. Praying that Mr. Bautista’s grieving is comforted by faith in Jesus Christ and the Glory Jose is in now, free from bullies, and pain while Jose waits in Gods house for the day his father – Mr. Bautista – will join him in glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
Shame on you. Shame on you bullies, and parents of these hoodlums for not doing better at raising civil and decent young adults.
Shame on you SCCSD and all your corrupt, useless, incompetent fools! You are accountable and you should be immediately terminated without any of your employer benefits and charged appropriately and incarcerated until you are properly sentenced for the failures you have repeatedly fostered.
And last, but not least SHAME ON YOU SANTA CLARA COUNTY! YOU ARE IMPLODING! ALL YOUR YEARS OF BS POLITICS AND BS FAKE PRACTICES ARE CATCHING UP WITH YOU. UNFORTUNATELY AT THE COST OF THIS PRECIOUS CHILD JOSE AND HIS FATHER MR. BAUTISTA! SHAME ON YOU!! THE BEST YOUR SORRY BUTTS CAN OFFER IS A NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION NUMBER? SHAME ON YOU YOU CROOKED, INEFFICIENT, INCOMPETENT, GREEDY COUNTY EMPLOYEES!!
JOSE DOES NOT LEAVE US IN VAIN! PLEASE PEOPLE – WAKE UP! YOUR COUNTY IS CORRUPT TO THE CORE!! PLEASE CORRECT THIS CORRUPTION BEFORE ANYONE, GROWN ADULT OR CHILD SUFFERS AGAIN!! I AM A DISABLED SENIOR FEMALE AND THE BEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME IS A RECENT EXIT FROM THIS CORRUPT COUNTY. UNDER YOUR CARE YOU NEARLY RENDERED ME HOMELESS, DESTITUTE, & CLOSE TO DEATH. YOUR FAKE AND ALL DEPARTMENTS OF SCC EMPLOYEES HAVE DEVELOPED A CRUEL, USELESS, & UNCARING CHARACTER THAT IS NOT ONLY USELESS BUT COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE IN THE MOST NEED.
GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU COMFORTED MR. BAUTISTA. WE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU AND RIGHTFUL JUSTICE FOR OUR BLESSED CHILD OF GOD JOSE. AMEN.
My heart is broken for Jose and his father. That poor child endured being hit and was spit on!!! I hope those monsters that did this to him feel enough guilt that it changes them and they stop spreading their evil. The way schools deal with bullying is a joke. My daughter was bullied at Lincoln High School and after filing an official complaint, the bullying got worse (they called her a snitch). The principal is a bully himself. It’s true that hurt people, hurt people but no one is doing a damn thing to help. Instead of offering continuous counseling to both the victims and perpetrators, schools threaten with suspensions. Everyone should be involved starting with the bullies parents. And not a one time meeting either, there should be continuous sessions with a licensed therapist to get to the root of the problem. Nothing is going to bring Jose back or help his father with the loss. And if nothing changes, it’s just a matter of time before the next bully pushes someone to their breaking point.
The SCSD needs to wake up and be accountable for this tragedy. My condolences go for Jose’s father. And I wish that the next superintendent and all in big positions get out of their comfortable offices and get involve in the schools. There is a lot happening in every school, but the principals cover their own mess. I have a student in the district and I have seen kids getting bullied and no action has been taken. When any of their employees try to advocate for the students and bring up the issue, there is retaliation. Sometimes kids are being mistreated by the teachers, the principals know about it and they do nothing.
All the main people in the district should be ashamed and fired from their positions.
Similar behavior was happening to my son from other classmates. But I did not stay quiet I went and talked to the principal and the principal didn’t took action so I went to the Sunnyvale School district and made my complaint. The kid who was bothering my son stop and received probation and this happened when he was in middle school. It continue in high school and I was not going to tolerate any more bullying so I informed the school and his teachers and they put a stop to all the bullying. My advise to all parents, please insist to ask your kids if everything is ok in school. I supported my son 100% and I told him and the teachers that I give him it’s ok to defend your self and don’t let anyone bother/ bully him. He said I’m afraid I will be suspended or get into more serious problems but I told him to just defend him self and to let me know. Parents please ask constantly to your kids if everything is ok if there’s any bullying going on and let them know you support them and you are there for them.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THE HORRIFIC TREATMENT THAT POOR BOY HAD TO ENDURE AT THE HANDS OF SUCH HATEFUL, INSENSITIVE IDIOTS!! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THEIR PARENTS- THEY’VE ALL RAISED DEMONS!! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND SO MANY PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES WHICH WILL BE EQUIVALENT TO THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME THAT POOR BOYS FATHER HAS TO LIVE NOW WITHOUT HIS SON!! ALL OF THOSE IDIOTS ON THAT FOOTBALL TEAM SHOULD BE BANNED FROM EVER PLAYING AGAIN, AND SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH MURDER!! MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF THEM SO NO MORE INNOCENT LIVES NEED TO BE LOST! THERE’S NO BRINGING JOSE BACK SADLY, HOWEVER, HE DOESN’T HAVE TO DIE IN VAIN.. HOLD EVERYONE WITH KNOWLEDGE & AUTHORITY IN THIS MATTER ACCOUNTABLE AND SEEK THE MOST SEVERE PUNISHMENT POSSIBLE SO OTHERS WILL THINK TWICE IN THE FUTURE BEFORE TREATING ANOTHER HUMAN BEING SO POORLY, THAT THEY TAKE THEIR OWN LIFE!! THIS MUST STOP NOW! THIS CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN!!
MY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH JOSE’S DAD & HIS FAMILY..
This is heart-breaking. It is a deep sadness for a child to come to such a place of hopelessness at this precious and innocent age. It seems that mental health issues are rising for children and youth in ways that may not easily visible and understandable. One of the projects at the chamber in partnership with another NGO has highlighted these issues. Over 60% of children are facing some sort of mental health issue these days. I hope that SCUSD will be able to do more to counter this. It’s unfathomable that such bullying can exist and go unnoticed. I can’t even imagine the immense grief of his father. I pray for the soul of this child and the grief of the parents.
Why haven’t we heard from the administrators or the damn football coach?! It was his players that caused this. Maybe he was in on it too some how… way to teach life lessons coach.
Unfortunately, employment contracts shield the records of teachers with disciplinary problems from public review. Case in point is former Santa Clara High School Teacher and City Councilman Dominic Casserta who was accused of inappropriate behavior with students and then sued the city when is employment/disciplinary record was ‘accidentally’ released. The School Board settled with him for more than $1M. In this unfortunate suicide and bullying case, the School Board also says employees have been disciplined. Maybe a completely unrelated association, the son of a recent candidate for Police Chief is also on the Santa Clara High School football team.