Family blames rumours for schoolboy’s death

A damaging allegation about 13-year-old Kland Doyle is said to have turned him into a constant target in his community of Castle Hill, Bath, St Thomas.

His family said the rumour followed him from his community into the schoolyard at Seaforth High School, more than 30 kilometres away, ultimately setting the stage for a deadly confrontation on Monday.

Doyle was stabbed to death on Monday afternoon at the Morant Bay bus park after an altercation with a group of boys. Police report that about 1:45 p.m., a dispute escalated, a knife was used, and Doyle was stabbed in the abdomen. He later died while undergoing treatment at hospital.

Three students are now in custody as investigations continue.

Kland's family members said the violence did not begin that day. His grandfather, Nigel Hunter, said the teenager had endured years of harassment after a nasty rumour began circulating in the community.

"Kland is a easy going little youth," said Hunter, while seated on a stone in his yard, trying to come to terms with the loss of his grandson.

He said that years ago, the father of one of the boys who has been jailed for Kland's killing made certain claims about his grandson.

According to Hunter, the allegation spread quickly, fuelling bullying both on the streets and at school.

"Dem start bully him and beat him everywhere dem see him, and my grandson not going to take it. Him going to fight back. Every time the boy dem see him dem call him [name], and now dem kill him ," a broken Hunter said.

"There was a time when Kland would refuse to go on the road alone because a bare fight would happen. Him would take other routes just to even go to the river and shop. ... Is a lot of time dem gang him and beat him, and mi really feel it for him because dem bully him to his death," Hunter said.

Kland's grandmother, Peaches Sutherland, said the teen often found himself in trouble, not because he started conflicts, but because he was reacting to repeated provocation.

"Kland was a quiet little boy, but if yuh get him out he is going to get angry," she said.

She admitted that the school has summoned his parents in the past because of his behaviour, but insists the incidents stemmed from ongoing conflicts with other students.

"The school would call, yes, but that only happen when dem trouble him and him retaliate," Sutherland said.

She recalled an incident last month where Doyle was attacked and beaten up. She said he sustained an injury to his neck and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

Family members say the persistent taunting created a volatile situation that kept escalating.

Meanwhile, acting regional director for the Ministry of Education, Skills , Youth and Information in Region 2, Yashieka Blackwood Grant, described the incident as extremely unfortunate and tragic. She said a team of counsellors has visited the institution to offer support.

"This school has been going through a difficult time as they lost a teacher last week who fell ill suddenly so to have this incident this week is really difficult," she said.

She added that the trauma response from the Ministry of Education will continue for the next few days.

Kland's alma mater, Airy Castle Primary School, remembered him as a "big baby", with the principal writing on social media that "You could not ask for a more disciplined child".

Meanwhile, an alleged eyewitness Noel Brown, a vendor and minister who operates outside Seaforth High School, said the conflict appeared to have started earlier on the school compound before spilling into the bus park in Morant Bay.

The vendor also told THE STAR that a knife was brought into play at the school gate.

"What I saw is that one of the guys had a knife, and it drop out of his bag, and the other one took it up and put it in his bag pack," he said.

He said a security guard broke up the fight at the school gate and Kland left in a vehicle.

"Kland went towards a bus and the boys were pursuing him, and we stopped them," Brown said. "He went into the vehicle and it drove off."

Back in Castle Hill, Hunter said he had just returned from his farm when he got the call that his grandson had been stabbed. Rushing to the hospital with Doyle's mother, he said he was not prepared for the outcome.

"Mi never did a look for mi grandson dead at all. When mi go look mi see him lay down on him back and him never did have much blood on him, but mi could see seh him pass away," he said.

Kland, he said, had dreams of joining the Jamaica Defence Force, a goal his family said he spoke about often. Now, those dreams have been cut short, leaving behind grief -- and questions about the role of rumours, stigma, and unchecked bullying.

As investigations continue, Kland's family is hoping his death will serve as a wake-up call.

"I hope the boys go pay dem penalty. Him done dead already, and dem going to prison nah go bring him back. But dem need to face the law," Kland's distraught grandmother said.