Three years since Phoebe Prince's suicide

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) - Monday marks three years since the suicide of South Hadley High School student Phoebe Prince ; a case that received the attention of people around the country, and brought about changes in state laws.

On January 14, 2010, Prince hanged herself inside her South Hadley home, after allegedly being bullied at school. Prince, who recently moved to western Massachusetts from Ireland, had reportedly been bullied because of her brief relationships with two older students, Sean Mulveyhill and Austin Renaud. Prosecutors said that in one incident, an energy drink was thrown at Prince, and one teen allegedly threatened to beat her, causing Prince to miss school in fear of her safety.

In late March of 2010, charges were brought against six South Hadley students on accusations ranging from harassment to statutory rape. Eventually, charges were dropped against Renaud, but the others; Mulveyhill, Flannery Mullins, Kayla Narey, Sharon Chanon Velazquez, and Ashley Longe, accepted plea deals and received probation.

Prince’s death, along with the suicide of Springfield student Carl Walker Hoover , brought about stricter anti-bullying laws , which were signed in the spring of 2010. The new law mandated teachers and other school officials report suspected bullying, and schools were required to draw-up and implement an anti-bullying plan. In response to the Massachusetts law, similar legislation was passed in states across the country.