About John Halligan
Founder, Speaker and Author
John lost his thirteen-year-old son, Ryan, to suicide on October 7, 2003. At the time of his death, Ryan was a middle school student in Essex Junction, Vermont. It was revealed in much greater detail after Ryan’s death that he was ridiculed and humiliated by peers at school and online.
In memory of his son, John spearheaded the Vermont Bully Prevention bill, signed into law (ACT117) in May 2004 and only a few months after Ryan’s death. He also successfully led the law's passage on mandatory suicide prevention education in public schools (ACT 114) in April 2006.
In May 2005, Mr. Halligan shared Ryan's Story for the very first time with a group of Vermont high school students. Other Vermont schools, hearing of the profound impact Ryan’s Story had that day, extended invitations to Mr. Halligan as well. Since then, he has spoken at over 2000 schools throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, impacting the lives of more than 1 million students. He has appeared on several national TV programs, including Primetime with Diane Sawyer, PBS Frontline, and Oprah. John also spoke at the United Nations Cyberhate Seminar in 2009. John’s mission is to inspire a positive shift and foster kindness among students, empowering them to take a stand against bullying and create a safe and inclusive school culture.
Mr. Halligan is also the recipient of several awards, including;
IBM Community Service Award 2005
Kids Safe Collaborative Community Service Award 2008
United Way's Home Town Hero Award 2008
Children Abuse Prevention Services Community Award 2009
The FBI Director's Community Service Award 2009
The Learning Channel Give A Little Award 2017
In 2019, he published two books: Ryan’s Story: A Father’s Hard-Earned Lessons on Cyberbullying and Suicide for adults. Ryan’s Story: Loved Beyond Belief, for middle and high school students, telling the heartbreaking story of Ryan Halligan’s short life. Both books include tips on safe technology use, strategies for the bullied and bystanders, and suicide prevention.
