ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A mother is advocating for kindness and accountability after her 13-year-old son took his own life over the weekend. Sheila Mueller said her son Klos was bullied a lot at school.
“It crushed him, it was constant,” The mother said. “He didn't want to go to school anymore.”
She said she raised a funny and warm-hearted young man.
“He was the best big brother and a huge help for me," Mueller said.
She said many times bullies’ words would hit where they hurt the most, Klos’ father's death years ago.
She believes the bully started years ago but noticed her 8th-grade son withdraw more in recent years.
“My son was reaching out for help and he got nothing,” Mueller said. “I’m baffled about how this was handled.”
Klos attended LaSalle Springs Middle School in the Rockwood School District. His mother said the school didn’t do enough to protect her son. She’s hoping more is done to protect other students currently being bullied.
The District released this statement about the loss of Mueller:
"The Rockwood School District is heartbroken over the loss of one of our students, Klos Mueller, who was in 8th grade at LaSalle Springs Middle. Our sincere thoughts and sympathies are with his family, educators and friends who knew and loved Klos."
Rockwood schools has several programs that offer students and families help with bullying and mental health concerns. They’ve partnered with a group called Hazel Health, which gives students access to counselors. They’ve also hosted seminars for students and have a peer-to-peer mentorship program.
Mueller said fixing the bullying problem, a problem that plagues schools across the country, starts at home.
“If your kids are bullying other kids, we need to talk about what that looks like,” the mother said.
Mueller has another son who is 5. She teaches him the same core values that gave Klos strength for so many years.
“I tried to teach him to be resilient and that sometimes people don't know that words hurt and what they say can crush your spirit,” Mueller said.
She and other parents planning an event to bring awareness to bullying within the Rockwood district next week.
The Rockwood School District has added additional counselors at LaSalle Middle School this week.
They are there to help students and staff cope with the loss of a beloved friend, classmate and student.