Mixed-Race Bullying and the Tragic Suicide of Teddy Molina

I wouldn’t normally think to write a blog about bullying, but this time it’s personal. 

Last week a beautiful mixed-race Asian-Latino boy named Teddy Molina committed suicide in Corpus Christi, Texas because of bullying. I take it really personal because I am also Asian-Latino, and I experienced mixed-raced racial taunts as a child.  I especially take it personal because my son and daughter are mixed race and I must make sure that this never happens to them. 

Teddy was a freshman in high school and he had experienced intense racial bullying since junior high.  His parents lodged more than a dozen complaints to his high school—all to no avail.  The “wolf pack”—a group formed by a handful of athletes—continued to bully Teddy. It got so bad that he was pulled out of school in March. 

This bullying caused Teddy’s suicide.