Cranbrook Counsels Students As They Mourn the Loss of Classmate Who Took His Own Life

The day after a , school officials are still in the process of coping and organizing events and services to further help students deal with their grief.

Clayton Matthews, communications director for Cranbrook-Kingswood,  said that beyond a Monday morning assembly, when the student body was informed of the incident, the school doesn’t have anything scheduled except giving their counselors time to talk to students grieving the loss of their classmate.

“This is all but unprecedented,” Matthews said Tuesday morning. “This was an absolute shock to the school.”

The grief comes a day after a 17-year-old Cranbrook student jumped off the roof of the condominium complex early Monday morning. Police were alerted after a maintenance worker found the boy’s body near Woodward Avenue around 3:30 a.m. Police said there was no evidence of foul play.

The student lived at the school’s dorms. However, his family — who lives in Texas — maintained the condominium at 401-411 S. Old Woodward Ave. for when the parents came to visit. The victim’s brother also graduated from Cranbrook last year and according to Birmingham Deputy Chief Mark Clemence, the family has ties to the area.

Clemence said the boy’s family was scheduled to arrive from Texas later on Monday. They will be dealing with the medical examiner and the schools, he said.

Matthews said while there weren’t any large, organized vigils his knowledge last night, he was sure students were grieving together. “I have no doubt that there were several private observances," he said.

Cranbrook is a private day and boarding school for pre-K through 12th grade. A large number of its 1,650 students are from Michigan, Matthews said, given the size of the lower and middle school. However, in its 800-student upper school, students have the opportunity to live in school dorms.

Matthews said Cranbrook students have counseling and outreach resources on campus, even if their families live out of state.

“Cranbrook schools have longstanding mentoring and counseling programs, particularly for boarding students, who have constant access to on-site adult resources from dorm supervisors to registered nurses,” he said.

In addition, Matthews said at least 70 percent of Cranbrook faculty live on campus, providing even more supervision for students.

“If you want to go down to the library at 9 p.m. to work on your AP history homework, you can get a teacher (to help you) beyond the regular adult supervision," he said. "Adults are very present.”

The last incident of this sort, Matthew said — where a boarding student committed suicide — occurred more than 20 years ago. 

According to AJ Desmond & Sons, a funeral home in Royal Oak, the family will hold a memorial service for the boy Saturday at their home in Texas.