J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Alaska Republican Congressman Don Young is under fire for allegedly making offensive comments at a high school rally, blaming a student's recent suicide on a lack of support from friends and family.
School officials say Young, 81, made 'hurtful and insensitive statements' about a Wasilla High School student who took his life last week and also used vulgar language when the politician spoke Tuesday morning at a high school assembly.
During the school gathering, teacher Carla Swick asked Young what his office was doing to combat teen suicide and the Congressman 'said suicide shows a lack of support from friends and family,' attendees told the Alaska Dispatch News.
Wasilla Principal Amy Spargo was shocked at Young's disrespect for the school community.
'When I heard 'a lack of support from family' and I heard 'a lack of support from friends,' I felt the oxygen go out of the room, but I gasped as well,' she said.
'It just isn't true in these situations. It's just such a hurtful thing to say.'
A friend of the late student yelled out to Young that the victim did have support telling him the cause was ' 'depression -- you know, a mental illness,' ' according to Spargo.
Young responded, ' 'Well, what, do you just go to the doctor and get diagnosed with suicide?' ' Spargo told the Dispatch.
Officials also complained that during his one hour talk, Young used inappropriate language like '---hole' or 'smartass,' and made vulgar remarks about gay marriage.
'You can't have marriage with two men. What do you get with two bulls?' Young told a student who asked about the Congressman's opposition to same sex marriage.
Young's office defended his remarks at the school assembly but conceded the Republican could have taken a 'much more sensitive approach' given the sensitivity of the topic of suicide.
'Congressman Young was very serious and forthright when discussing the issue of suicide, in part because of the high number of tragedies that affect Alaskan youth. He discussed what he believes are leading causes of youth suicide in our state and shared some suggestions for helping family members and friends who are dealing with suicidal thoughts,' spokesman Matt Shuckerow wrote in an email.
'In no way did Congressman Young mean to upset anyone with his well-intentioned message. In light of the tragic events affecting the Wasilla High School community, he should have taken a much more sensitive approach.'
Earlier this summer, Young got in trouble for physically harassing a Congressional aide who tried to prevent him from entering a meeting late.
Video of the ugly encounter was circulated online.
Young is currently running for re-election to his 22nd term in Congress.
Entities 0 Name: Young Count: 6 1 Name: Spargo Count: 2 2 Name: Wasilla Count: 2 3 Name: Matt Shuckerow Count: 1 4 Name: Congress Count: 1 5 Name: Alaska Republican Count: 1 6 Name: Carla Swick Count: 1 7 Name: Wasilla High School Count: 1 8 Name: Alaska Dispatch News Count: 1 9 Name: Amy Spargo Count: 1 10 Name: Don Young Count: 1 11 Name: Congressional Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/10guMJH Title: British Schools Desperately Need Same-Sex Sexual Education | VICE United Kingdom Description: Discovering I was gay in the overbearingly macho culture of 1990s South London - and in the shadow of the AIDS epidemic, with its imposing tombstone advertising campaigns - was scary and isolating. If that wasn't enough, I also grew up in a huge Greek-Cypriot family with parents who were actively involved with the local church.
