Sam Coutts, 18, was found dead at his sixth form college in January following a meeting with the vice principal about social media posts in which he expressed he had a crush on his support worker
The mum of a high-functioning autistic student who tragically took his own life in the toilets at his sixth form college has told a coroner that the institution failed her son.
Sam Coutts, 18, was discovered deceased at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, in January, following a meeting with the vice principal regarding social media posts where he confessed to having feelings for his support worker.
During an inquest in Crook, County Durham, his mother Kirsten expressed that Sam would have felt humiliated after the meeting, which he was permitted to leave unaccompanied. CCTV footage revealed he went directly from the meeting to the toilets where his body was found three hours later by the college principal.
In a statement summarised by the coroner, Ms Coutts said: “The college did not care appropriately and acceptably for my son. They failed completely in their duty of care.”
The inquest heard that Sam had previously been a victim of bullying at secondary school and made great efforts to conceal his autism as he didn’t want to be treated differently.
He was studying A-levels in psychology, applied science and biology – subjects he hoped to continue at St John York University.
His mother described in a pen portrait how changes made him anxious and how he would go straight to bed after returning home from college if he was stressed. The college was aware of his autism and he was assigned a support worker, Lauren Crosby.
Ms Coutts revealed she was approached by the college after a support worker reportedly discovered Reddit posts in which he discussed having a crush on her. In his posts, he also talked about taking oxytocin at college in an apparent attempt to mitigate his autistic traits.
Ms Coutts, a nurse, expressed doubts about how the support worker stumbled upon the Reddit posts, considering Sam’s account wasn’t under his real name. On January 13, the college convened a meeting where Sam was informed he would be assigned a different support worker.
The day before, his mother had spoken with the safeguarding lead, urging staff to handle Sam delicately. Before the meeting, Sam confessed to his mother that he felt embarrassed and ashamed, she said.
He questioned whether the Reddit posts made him appear “creepy and weird”, but she reassured him they did not, affirming they were respectful.
Following the meeting with Sam, the college vice principal Theresa Amarawansa phoned Ms Coutts to report that the teenager was “positive and fine”. In her statement, Ms Coutts said: “I said I find that hard to believe and the call ended.”
She missed a subsequent call from the college while she was on shift at a hospital, informing her that Sam was absent from his psychology lesson. She attempted to return the call but was told staff were handling an emergency, although she was assured it didn’t involve her son.
After leaving work at lunchtime, Ms Coutts recalled seeing police and paramedics at the college but reassured herself that she had been informed over the phone that it did not involve her son. However, police later arrived at her home to inform her of Sam’s death, the inquest heard.
Ms Coutts described her “vulnerable” autistic son as likely feeling as though “a rug had been pulled” when he was informed about the change in support worker. She also highlighted that he was not discovered for three hours following the meeting, despite being marked absent from his classes.
The inquest also learned that Sam had stepped in during a family member’s mental health crisis three months prior, managing to save their life through conversation. His mother painted a picture of him as loving, gentle, quiet, engaging, adventurous and erudite, with a wicked sense of humour.
Later, the inquest received a statement from Ms Crosby in which she revealed that Sam had emailed her on Christmas Day with a link to Mariah Carey’s hit All I Want For Christmas Is You.
Upon returning to college after the holiday break, she said it was agreed that Sam might not have grasped the implied meaning of the song, but there would be a gradual transition towards him working with another, male, support worker with whom he had already established a positive rapport.
Ms Crosby disclosed that she subsequently stumbled upon Sam’s Reddit posts while browsing the platform, although she was unsure why they appeared on her feed. She promptly took action and communicated her worries to the support team members.
Vicky Wilkinson, head of additional learning support, expressed that the Reddit posts had raised alarm. When questioned about the possible damage to Sam from altering his support worker, she informed the inquest: “The only alternative was to keep Lauren in place and that was not an option.
“The wording on the Reddit posts left us with significant concerns.” The inquest, anticipated to span three days, has been postponed until Tuesday.
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here to listen – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.