An inquest has heard how a mother believes her son's college failed to protect him before he took his own life in the toilets. Sam Coutts, 18, was found dead at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington on January 13, hours after a meeting with the vice principal about social media posts.
Meeting over social media posts
Sam, who had autism, had been called to a meeting after posts on Reddit came to light, in which he discussed having a crush on his support worker. He also mentioned taking oxytocin at college in an apparent attempt to alleviate his autistic traits.
At the inquest in Crook, County Durham, his mother Kirsten said Sam would have felt ashamed after the meeting, which he was allowed to leave alone. CCTV showed he went straight from the meeting to the toilets, where his body was found three hours later by the college principal.
Mother's statement to coroner
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, who had previously suffered bullying at secondary school, tried hard to mask his condition and did not want to be treated differently. He was studying A-levels in psychology, applied science and biology, and hoped to read at St John York University.
Events leading to his death
Ms Coutts, a nurse, was sceptical about how the support worker found the Reddit posts, given that Sam's account was not under his real name. The day before the meeting, she spoke to the safeguarding lead and urged staff to treat Sam gently.
Prior to the meeting, Sam told his mother he felt embarrassed and ashamed. He asked if the posts made him seem "creepy and weird", and she reassured him they did not. After the meeting, vice principal Theresa Amarawansa rang Ms Coutts to say Sam was "positive and fine". Ms Coutts said: "I said I find that hard to believe and the call ended."
She missed a subsequent call from the college, as she was on shift at a hospital, telling her Sam was missing from his psychology lesson. After leaving work, she saw police and paramedics activity at the college, but had been told it did not involve her son. Police later arrived at her home to say Sam had died.
Ms Coutts said her "vulnerable" autistic son would have felt "a rug had been pulled" when told about the change in support worker. She also noted he was not found for three hours after the meeting, despite being marked absent from lessons.
The inquest also heard how Sam had intervened during a family member's mental health crisis three months earlier, saving their life by talking to them. His mother described him as loving, gentle, quiet, engaging, adventurous and erudite, with a wicked sense of humour.
The inquest, expected to last three days, continues.
