Maddie Yates: Kentucky Teen Dead After Posting Farewell YouTube Video Before Committing Suicide

Maddie Yates: Kentucky Teen Dead After Posting Farewell YouTube Video Before Committing Suicide
(YouTube)
Zachary Stieber
4/18/2014
Updated:
7/18/2015

Maddie Yates of Louisville, Kentucky committed suicide shortly after uploading a video to YouTube in which she told listeners: “I just don’t see how this is a bad idea.”

Yates was a 16-year-old student at Louisville Male High School.

The video was watched more than 10,000 times before it was removed from YouTube.

District officials said they temporarily shut down access to Twitter and YouTube where students were circulating the video.

“The safety and security of our students is our No. 1 priority. Jefferson County Public Schools is doing everything possible to support students who are grieving at this time,” Mandy Simpson, a JCPS spokeswoman, said in a statement Tuesday, reported the Louisville Courier-Journal.

“We temporarily removed access to Twitter and YouTube this morning. This was an effort to ensure that students who are emotionally impacted could get the help they needed as we worked with officials to address the situation through the most appropriate and efficient channels.”

However, students could still access the video via their cell phones.

Jon Hile, whose daughter is a freshman at Male, said he believes the school missed an opportunity to discuss the situation with students.

“You can’t deny the fact in this age of social media that those kids saw that video,” he said. “I think it could have been handled better. Trying to ignore what happened isn’t going to help anyone. But the way I see it, the missed opportunity from JCPS means that it’s now an opportunity for parents to re-engage with their kids about this very serious issue.”

The high school brought in 20 grief counselors to hep the counseling staff provide support to students.

Male High School principal David Mike sent a letter home to parents Tuesday afternoon, identifying Yates, saying she was “respected and well-liked by our staff and students.”

“It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news of the untimely passing of one of our 11th grade students,” the letter states. “While we cannot share the specifics with you at this time, we ask that your thoughts be focused on helping her family and the community heal in the wake of this loss.”