Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Upper West Side Prep School Makes 9th Graders Write Suicide Notes For Homework
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 12, 2013
Modified Jun 12, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 12, 2013
Modified Jun 12, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It's one thing to make kids do homework assignments on cannibals and bloodthirsty aliens—it's an entirely different thing to force them to face their own mortality and justify killing themselves for English class. That's what parents allege that a York Prep teacher made her students do: “We thought this was such an outrageous assignment for a 14-year-old to get,” a father of one student there told the Post. “We pay a lot of money to send our kids to the school.” Though obviously not enough to shield them from confronting their own mortal coil.
Teacher Jessica Barrish assigned the students to channel May Boatwright from "The Secret Life of Bees" by writing in first person about her legacy and how they wanted to be remembered by her sisters. “How would you justify ending your life? What reasons would you give?” the assignment asked. Headmaster Ronald Stewart said that "not a single" parent had complained about the assignment before blabbing to the Post.
New School philosophy professor Simon Critchley, who recently taught a suicide note-writing workshop for adults, said he thought the assignment was fine: “I don’t see why this is inappropriate at all. If it is, then suicide is a taboo, and I simply think we have to think rationally about our taboos,” he said. Well sure, as long as it's not math questions about slavery.
This isn't the first time suicide note-writing has been brought into the classroom: last winter, a French middle school teacher was suspended for asking his 13 and 14-year-old students to pretend they were going to kill themselves, and explain why.
And this isn't the first time Barrish has made the dailies: in May, she filed a $2 million lawsuit against a former college friend who she claimed destroyed her apartment and murdered her cat.
Tagged
high school
homework
manhattan
prep school
suicide
suicide notes
teens
Upper West Side
uws
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 25, 2026 at 2:57 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 25, 2026 at 4:59 p.m. ET
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001
By
Michael Sol Warren
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
By
Jill Webb
Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor
By
Samuel King
NY Archdiocese will soon settle $800M clergy sexual abuse claims
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .