Death sparks anti-bullying movement in western Ky.

February 19, 2012

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The death of a 14-year-old western girl has sparked a movement against bullying and suicide.

The movement started this month after Miranda Campbell fatally shot herself.

Angela Felty, who is the director of the Elevation Teen Center in Hopkinsville, told The Kentucky New Era that she started the movement with help from youths who attend the center (http://bit.ly/zO4dwd). She says the Miranda Campbell Challenge has a Facebook page and had more than 1,000 "likes" from users just a few days after being set up.

Felty and Campbell's father, Travis Campbell, said the teen was bullied because she was bisexual. Hopkinsville High School principal Demetria Choice said she was not aware of any bullying in the classroom, where she said Campbell was well-liked. She said the school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying.

Felty said Campbell was at the teen center on the night before she died.

"She would get the same thing every weekend," Felty said. "Orange Crush. She would kind of look at you like, 'You should know what I want by now.' I can't get that look out of my eyes."

Felty and Campbell say they hope the movement discourages any type of bullying.

"We are going to use (the challenge) to communicate to parents and teachers in the area the price that can be paid from lashing out and bullying," Campbell said. "We are making sure we can turn this into something positive."

Felty said she didn't see any signs that the teen was thinking about suicide.

"She was a quiet girl," Felty said. "She hung with her friends every weekend. There were about 10 of them that were her close friends. I never felt like I saw something personally."

During a memorial service on Feb. 8 at the high school, Travis Campbell said he will remain committed to the movement.

"I'm going to take the tenacity and perseverance that I gave my daughter and feed it into the Miranda Campbell Challenge," Travis Campbell told the crowd. "This challenge is now my child."

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Online:

Miranda Campbell Challenge: visit www.facebook.com/pages/The-Miranda-Campbell-Challenge/355553271130053

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Information from: Kentucky New Era, http://www.kentuckynewera.com

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