LA GRANDE, Ore — In 2013, Joe Bell set out to walk 5,000 miles across the U.S. to honor his 15-year-old son Jadin, who died by suicide after being bullied in school for being gay. Bell had made it from La Grande, Ore. to a small town in Colorado when a semi-tractor-trailer hit and killed him.
Now, eight years after the tragedy, the story is being told in the Hollywood movie "Joe Bell" starring Mark Wahlberg.
"We knew that this movie was going to be coming out. Rather than being reactive, we felt that it was important to be proactive," said La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza.
Jadin Bell was a student in the district, which released a message of support to the family earlier this week.
"It's a time where this movie is going to depict great loss for our community, great loss for the family of Lola Bell," said Mendoza. "But it's also a time where we need to come together and support our community, students and our staff."
Lola, Jadin Bell's mom, also released a statement ahead of the movie's release, saying in part that she doesn't place blame and hopes the movie will make viewers more vigilant about safeguarding the well-being of young people.
Emily Moser is the director of YouthLine at Lines for Life, a resource center for those feeling alone or depressed. She talks to people on a regular basis that have been bullied at school and online.
She said parents should be familiar with Oregon's anti-bullying laws that protect kids on school grounds.
"So you can use that process, understand that process to potentially address issues before they get to a highly escalated point in a young person life," said Moser.
Mendoza said the school district has plans and guidance in place to ensure a positive and inclusive school experience.
"We do a lot of fact finding to understand, is it mean behavior, name calling or bullying? And then addressing it with students, and then staff and parents if necessary."
Joe Bell died a year into his journey to raise awareness about his son's struggles with bullying. The movie about his mission hits theaters on Friday.
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24/7 for anyone who needs it. The number is 1-800-273-8255.
To get help from YouthLine, call 877-968-8491 or text "teen2teen" to 839863. Teen volunteers operate the phones and chatting from 4 to 10 p.m. every day - adults answer calls during other hours. Learn more on www.oregonyouthline.org