14-Year-Old Student Took His Own Life After Being Bullied, Spat On, and Hit for Being Homeless

Jose Emiliano Zamora, a 14-year-old student from Santa Clara High School in California, tragically took his own life on November 6. His father, Jose Bautista, said this happened just a few months after Jose started at the school.

The Santa Clara Unified School District announced his death in a video posted on Facebook on November 13. The school district also stated they were working with the police, who are investigating what happened.

Jose was a member of his school’s junior varsity football team. However, his father shared that Jose was being bullied because he was homeless.

Other students reportedly spat on him and hit him on the back of his football helmet. Bautista said he learned about this bullying from other students at the school.

Earlier this year, Jose and his father lost their home and had to move into a shelter. While staying at the shelter, Jose was receiving mental health treatment.

Despite these challenges, his father said they were growing closer and that Jose had been hopeful about moving to a permanent home. “We were bonding more,” Bautista said. “He was waiting for a place to live instead of the shelter.”

Jose’s death has deeply affected the community. His family started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs. The fundraiser raised over $100,000 in just one week, with many people sharing their condolences and personal stories of bullying and homelessness.

One donor shared that they also faced bullying and homelessness as a teenager and had struggled with thoughts of suicide. Another donor wrote that they were bullied by wealthy classmates and wanted to help Jose’s family during this difficult time.

In response to the tragedy, Santa Clara Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gary Waddell addressed the issue of bullying in a video.

He said, “If bullying played a role in Jose’s death, it is unacceptable. Even one instance is too many.” Dr. Waddell also stated that the school district had taken serious disciplinary actions after their investigation and was cooperating fully with the police.

The investigation into Jose’s death is ongoing, and police are working to determine all the facts surrounding the situation. The Santa Clara police department has not provided any further updates yet.