Teacher hangs herself in classroom before students arrive; had lectured students in past on suicide

Students knew something was wrong when classroom was locked when they arrived

Students at a Southern California high school made a horrific discovery Monday morning when they came upon a female teacher hanging from a classroom ceiling.

Captain Steve Concialdi, of the Orange County Fire Authority, says the teacher took her life sometime before 8.40am at El Dorado High School in Placentia.

According to the police official, students who found the victim initially arrived to a locked classroom.

After the two students were let inside by another teacher, the three found the teacher and helped cut her down from the ceiling. 911 was called at 8:40.

Responding paramedics found her lying on the classroom floor suffering from cardiac arrest, Placentia Police Lt. Eric Pointe told Orange County Register.

They performed CPR but were unable to revive the teacher. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A student witness told the LA Times about screams emanating from the classroom when the tragic discovery was made.

Frank Leon, 16, said his teacher left to unlock Jacobson's classroom and he heard 'screaming, crying. It freaked the hell out of me.'

He added that his teacher was screaming, 'Oh my God, oh my God!'

Assistant Superintendent Kevin Lee with Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District says classes were dismissed for the day at 11am

He also confirmed there was an 'emergency medical situation' involving a teacher.

Crisis counselors have been made available on campus.

Several students told the OC Register that Jacobson's father killed himself, and she that she always urged teens not to resort to suicide.

There is no word at this time on what may have prompted the popular teacher to end her life.

I find this incredibly heartbreaking, not only for her family involved, but for the students who has to see this and have to live with this image for the rest of their lives. For someone who preached not taking your own life to her students she loved so dearly, to do this TO them, is incredibly selfish. Nobody should be left this lasting image of someone they admire or care for. Ever! Especially someone they only know on a casual basis. As a parent, this leaves me horrified! I can only imagine how those kids must be feeling. And yes, they are still kids. Just mind boggling. I honestly do not know what to say.

a reply to: Anyafaj

And I give you.... public education.

Heartbreaking indeed.What i can't understand is why in the classroom where the kids were bound to find it.She must have known the emotional trauma to them.

a reply to: TDawg61

Ya this gets me too.
Those poor kids that had to walk in and see this and have to be part of the whole event.

I think she might of taken a students remark to kill herself a little to seriously.

I hope her family can understand how serious school dares can get.

But really, At what point in her mind did it seem like a good idea to hang herself in a classroom? Did she WANT to traumatize those kids.

I guess her call for help or attention or something was stronger than the need to not scar these kids for life.

This is Tragic, But in context. Everyone should be saying, WTF?

I know school is bad, And the government funded system sucks.
But is it really worth hanging yourself for your students to walk into? at like 9 in the morning.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: TDawg61

Ya this gets me too.
Those poor kids that had to walk in and see this and have to be part of the whole event.

Scared for life possibly.

Another successful college education gone to waste.

Along with another successful vetting and screening process.

originally posted by: AnuTyr
I think she might of taken a students remark to kill herself a little to seriously.

I hope her family can understand how serious school dares can get.

But really, At what point in her mind did it seem like a good idea to hang herself in a classroom? Did she WANT to traumatize those kids.

I guess her call for help or attention or something was stronger than the need to not scar these kids for life.

This is Tragic, But in context. Everyone should be saying, WTF?

I know school is bad, And the government funded system sucks.
But is it really worth hanging yourself for your students to walk into? at like 9 in the morning.

Yes I'm having a problem with the teacher's choice of location as well.But I only have a year of abnormal psch courses.Tragic in many ways this.

a reply to: TDawg61

I am speculating here, but seems they were there early if it was just 2 kids that saw this/were let it.

Either there early by no choice of their own, which is possible, or they enjoyed extra time with the teacher.
If it is the ladder, I really feel for these kids.

meh never mind, emotional response

originally posted by: xuenchen
Another successful college education gone to waste.

Along with another successful vetting and screening process.

You may be right about the screening.She probably had issues for quite some time I'd guess.

a reply to: Anyafaj

That`s just so wrong in every sense of the way !

What the hell was she thinking, you just don`t do that so you can be found by your students.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: TDawg61

I am speculating here, but seems they were there early if it was just 2 kids that saw this/were let it.

Either there early by no choice of their own, which is possible, or they enjoyed extra time with the teacher.
If it is the ladder, I really feel for these kids.

Who could know but I never showed up early for class willingly.Have you?

That would be quite a hard lesson plan to top...

What's the saying? Those who can't do... teach? Substitute 'do' with 'live'...

And it also gives a new twist to substitute teacher...

Taught the ABCs of DOA...

Sorry... too much death has blackened my humor a tad... the unedited version was truly horrid.

I wish society and life was such that folks didn't decide to quit so often.

a reply to: TDawg61

Not unless I really liked the class...

31 years old .Obviously something was tormenting this young lady to take her life.And it doesn't sound like she was unhappy with her job judging by her popularity with her students.I wonder about marriage problems causing her drastic action.

So hanging oneself in the privacy of one's home isn't good enough anymore ?

One must share the drama and trauma with one's students ?

a reply to: Anyafaj

A student witness told the LA Times about screams emanating from the classroom when the tragic discovery was made.

This is why the media sucks. Emotions = Ratings.

a reply to: Anyafaj

As a person who has dealt with suicidal thoughts/actions in the past, I can now honestly say it is a very selfish thing to do.

The reason being, for one you always leave behind more questions, trauma for family/friends etc.

Also depending on when/how you do it, you can go on to mentally disturb a person or group of persons for the rest of their lives.

I do however feel that assisted suicide for those who are terminally Ill should be a right we all have. Being forced to suffer (physically) year after year should not be something you need to endure IMO, especially if it's only prolonging the inevitable.

ETA: for those of you asking why she did it in the classroom, well she did warn them about suicide so in her mind I'm sure it was her final way of making sure the lesson stuck and that they in turn would not do it in their lives. Again I've been down that road before, I'm sure that's what she had in mind, or something similar..the intent of the act wasn't selfish, it's the committing of the act that is selfish

a reply to: Anyafaj

Everyone is focusing on the idea that the teacher committed suicide where her students would find her.

While this was clearly a bad choice, it was the choice from someone who was reaching out for help. Some may go so far as to say that committing suicide is the ultimate and final call for help.

Often, suicides are done in such a way that the person knows someone will find them in time to save them.

I see a few different things here...

A society where this women was not able to get the help she needed. The majority of you will clamor that she didn't try hard enough. That she should have done something different.

I'll tell you, you have no idea what that woman was going through, nor how difficult even buttoning a sleeve could have been for her.

A society where this woman is going to be blamed. Because, you know, we blame rape victims as surely they brought it on.

A society where we project our own fears onto others, and blame them for taking the steps they needed to take. Why is it that for this woman, it simply had not reached the zenith of what she could take in life? That she will be demonized for simply not being able to take another step forward? That no matter what, she will be labelled a coward. As being selfish.


As a society, we have an amazingly large set of balls to say such things. Huge.


P.S. - Don't bother...I know precisely the kind of flaming I'm going to get as a result of this. None of it will surprise me.