AUBURN — A moment of silence was held Friday at Auburn Middle School for an honor roll student who died unexpectedly at home Wednesday.

Police were investigating, and the cause of death had not been released.

Social media sites such as Facebook and Tumbler were on fire with speculation about the cause of death. Grieving students were looking for answers and filling in the blanks with assumptions that may be wrong, Superintendent Katy Grondin said. She cautioned students to be careful about what they post.

“We don’t know the answers,” she said. Losing a peer is difficult for students, but they have to be mindful of the family’s right to privacy, she said. “This is not a time to point fingers or blame. Even though you’re angry, you need to be careful.”

Students were told that instead of focusing on why or blaming anyone, “we have to honor and care for each other, listen and talk about the memories,” Grondin said.

Space was made available at the middle school Thursday for students and faculty to talk, grieve or express their feelings with counselors, Grondin said. A letter was sent home to parents, to let them know a student had passed and to help them deal with their grieving children.

Some students came to school Friday wearing “Rest in peace” shirts to remember their schoolmate.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.