Gallaudet DPS Falsely Arrested My Son. The Next Day, He Was Dead.

Gio was a sensitive, bright student who reached out for help, telling campus staff: “I do not feel safe.” 

Instead of receiving care, Gallaudet’s Department of Public Safety — with the rubber-stamp backing of DC Metro Police — falsely arrested Gio and threw him into a hardened jail cell. We, his parents, were never informed. We were kept completely out of the loop, unaware that our son had been criminalized during his moment of crisis and cry for help.

Humiliated and traumatized, Gio was released from jail with no support — and then kicked off Gallaudet’s campus. He had hurt no one, committed no crime, and was simply experiencing a mental health crisis. That’s when he sent me a final text: “Dad. My life is in danger. Immediate danger. Help.” I was a thousand miles away, and despite our efforts to intervene, hours later, my son was dead..

This was not suicide in isolation. It was institutional failure.
Gallaudet DPS, aided by DC Metro Police, created the very crisis that ended my son’s life. Their actions were not just negligent — they were dangerous. And to this day, they continue following the same failed procedures. That means other students remain at risk.

The numbers show this is bigger than Gio.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among U.S. college students. Each year, 1,100 students die by suicide and 24,000 more attempt it. Universities across the country are failing to respond to mental health crises, and families like mine are left to bury their children.

That’s why I am demanding change.
I am calling for The Gio Initiative: national legislation with Title IX strength and Clery Act enforcement, requiring every university to:

Protect, not criminalize, students in crisis
Provide timely medical and mental health intervention
Communicate with families when a student’s life is in danger
Be held accountable when they fail
Please stand with me.

No parent should ever be shut out while their child is in danger. No student should ever be jailed for asking for help. Sign this petition to support The Gio Initiative — and help ensure what happened to Gio never happens again.

To learn more, go to:  https://robertmanganelli.com

More here at From Shattering to Mattering - Lieber Institute For Brain Development: https://robertmanganelli.com/impact-1

Supporting the GIO INITIATIVE At:�White House Phone: (202) 456-1111

Congressman Jamie Raskin: (202) 225-5341 or by mail at 2242 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.