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Friday, October 18, 2013

Boy, 15, kills himself after 'facing expulsion and being put on sex offender registry' for streaking prank at high school football game

Boy, 15, kills himself after 'facing expulsion and being put on sex offender registry' for streaking prank at high school football game

  • Christian Adamek hanged himself on October 2 and died from his injuries two days later - a week after he streaked at his high school football game
  • He was arrested and school district recommended he face a court hearing
  • If convicted of indecent exposure, he'd have gone on sex offenders list
By Lydia Warren
PUBLISHED: 10:40 EST, 10 October 2013 | UPDATED: 08:53 EST, 11 October 2013
A popular 15-year-old student has committed suicide after he reportedly faced expulsion and could have been placed on the sex offenders' register simply for streaking at a high school football game.
Christian Adamek, from Huntsville, Alabama, hanged himself on October 2, a week after he was arrested for running naked across the Sparkman High football field during a game.
The teenager died two days later from his injuries and on Wednesday, friends and family gathered at a memorial service as they struggled to comprehend the beloved student's death.
A video of Adamek streaking during a game against a rival team was posted on YouTube hours after the event and students took to Twitter to call him a 'legend'.
Loss: Christian Adamek, 15, hanged himself last week after he faced possible expulsion and criminal charges for streaking across his high school's football field during a game the week earlier
Loss: Christian Adamek, 15, hanged himself last week after he faced possible expulsion and criminal charges for streaking across his high school's football field during a game the week earlier
'Sparkman's new slogan is gonna be "Welcome to Sparkman High School, Home of Christian Adamek",' one student wrote.
But school staff did not treat the situation so lightly.
Sparkman High Principal Michael Campbell told WHNT a day before the suicide attempt that the teen could face major repercussions because of his actions.
'There's the legal complications,' Campbell said. 'Public lewdness and court consequences outside of school with the legal system, as well as the school consequences that the school system has set up.'
Incident: Adamek, seen right, was filmed streaking across the school football field on September 27
Incident: Adamek, seen right, was filmed streaking across the school football field on September 27
In Alabama, indecent exposure is linked to the state's sex offender laws, meaning that he could have found himself on the sex offenders register due to the streaking.
Campbell added that that the incident was not just a prank and needed to be treated seriously.
Sparkman High administrators even recommended that Adamek face a hearing in the Madison County court system to determine if formal charges would be filed, WHNT reported.
Adamek had also been disciplined by the school district but the details had not been made public.
The day before the suicide attempt, the principal had confirmed that Adamek was not at school and the teenager's sister suggested on Twitter that Adamek faced expulsion, AL.com reported.
Popular: After the streaking, fellow students called Adamek, pictured, a 'legend' but the school district took it far more seriously, recommending that he had a court hearing and disciplining him
Popular: After the streaking, fellow students called Adamek, pictured, a 'legend' but the school district took it far more seriously, recommending that he had a court hearing and disciplining him
Missed: He is pictured with his mother, Angela, in his younger years. He also leaves behind a brother and sister
Missed: He is pictured with his mother, Angela, in his younger years. He also leaves behind a brother and sister
Campbell declined to comment on Adamek's death but the Madison County school district issued a statement saying it had 'received word that a Sparkman High School student has passed away'.
'Our prayers and thoughts are with the family during this time of bereavement,' the statement read.
The messages on Twitter have now turned from congratulatory to somber.
'Praying for the Adamek family. Christian was so funny and nice. He will be missed by so many,' one girl wrote.
The family - Adamek leaves behind his mother, Angela, and a sister and a brother - shared photos and memories online of the fun-loving teen, who was pictured posing and grinning at the camera.
At Wednesday's memorial service, his Boy Scout Troop master, David Silvernail, said Adamek was a popular teenager who always had a smile on his face.
Questions: The principal of Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama has not commented on the suicide
Questions: The principal of Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama has not commented on the suicide
'There are two kinds of people in the world; ones that brighten the room when they walk in and those that don't,' he said.
'He was one that brightened the room when he walked in. That's what I'll always remember about Christian.'
His mother, Angela, thanked her son's friends and said they could learn from his life, AL.com reported.
'Remember to smile, don't be afraid to do something goofy and remember the consequences of those actions, ask for help when you need it, ask for help if you think your friends need it if you don't know what to do, be quirky, be happy, be smart,' she said

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