Mustang Safety Series: Ryan's Story

Governor Mifflin School District is excited to cordially invite you to join us for Ryan’s Story: A Presentation by John Halligan on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM in the Governor Mifflin High School Auditorium.

What is Ryan’s Story?
John lost his thirteen-year-old son, Ryan, to suicide on October 7, 2003. At the time of his death, Ryan was a middle school student in Essex Junction, Vermont. It was revealed in much greater detail after Ryan’s death that he was ridiculed and humiliated by peers at school and online.

In this informative and profound presentation, John will share Ryan’s story and the lessons learned from his family's tragedy. Practical recommendations are provided for parents to prevent suicide and bullying. Parents will get an unambiguous message that they need to step up and take responsibility for how their child uses technology and interact with their peers in person and online.

A companion presentation will be given to our students in grades 7-12 during the school day, making this the perfect opportunity to strike up conversation with your student about bullying, mental health, and their online activity.

This presentation is our first installment in the Mustang Safety Series for Students, Parents, and Community for the 2025-2026 School Year. This comprehensive series will cover pressing issues of student safety both within our schools and our broader community in order to not only build understanding, but also provide important tips and viable solutions to some of the most common problems facing our youth.

To see more upcoming sessions in the Mustang Safety Series, please visit www.gmsd.org/mustangsafetyseries 

As a reminder to our families, our district uses Safe2Say to collect anonymous tips regarding concerns of student safety in our district. If you know a student who is at risk of harming themselves or others, tips can be made at https://www.safe2saypa.org/ or by calling 1-844-SAF2SAY.