Jaheem Herrera, 11, hanged himself after coming home from school on April 16.

Masika Bermudez said her son was being consistently bullied at school. She said she had complained to the school, and she said it was her 10-year-old daughter who alerted her to the stress Jaheem was under.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Pam Martin went to speak to Jaheem’s mother Monday.

“She said, ‘Ma, did you know they called Jaheem gay again today in school,’” said Bermudez.

Bermudez said bullies at school had called Jaheem “gay” and had taunted him about his accent. She said when he came home Thursday and she asked him about it, he denied it. She sent him to his room to calm down. That was the last time she saw him alive.

The front door of their apartment is now a shrine. Dozens of friends have come by to say goodbye.

Bermudez said she talked to Jaheem’s best friend about his frame of mind Thursday.

“He said, ‘Yes ma’am. He told me that he’s tired of everybody always messing with him in school. He is tired of telling the teachers and the staff, and they never do anything about the problems. So, the only way out is by killing himself,’” said Bermudez.

Bermudez said she had been to Dunaire Elementary School six or seven times to complain about how Jaheem and one of his sisters had been treated, but the problem persisted.

Bermudez said she is suspicious about why she didn’t receive her son’s notebooks until Monday afternoon. She said she had been told he documented the bullying.

“When she finally gave me the book, I was looking for these disturbing things -- and it had torn pages and it has pages cut, like with scissors,” said Bermudez.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Pam Martin talked with some students at Dunaire Elementary who said they knew Jaheem. They confirmed the bullying.

“That’s my baby’s life there because of this bullying situation they didn’t take care of,” said Bermudez.

Channel 2 Action News called the school for comment, but that call was not returned. DeKalb County Schools said they could not speak about any particular case.

Channel 2 Action News did talk to another mother who said her son was also harassed this year. She moved her family and her son to another school.