Carl Walker-Hoover's mother, Sirdeaner, describes her son as a bright student and a happy kid. "He loved the Lord. He was Christian. He was saved," she says. "He was a happy-go-lucky boy."

Sirdeaner says Carl started having problems in junior high. "They were calling him gay," she says. "I told him to talk to the teachers, talk to the administrators at school, and let them know what was going on."

Carl's family says he was verbally teased every day. "He was so afraid that he ate lunch with a guidance counselor," she says.

Sirdeaner says she took action as soon as she realized what was happening. "I joined the PTO. I sat in on a class. I even set up an appointment with Carl to meet with the guidance counselor once a week," she says. "I don't know what else I could have done."