A lesbian teacher died by suicide yesterday, September 1, the first day of school in France, after being harassed for years with homophobic graffiti by an unknown person.Authorities say that Caroline Grandjean-Paccoud, 42, of the rural community Anglards-de-Salers in central France, called the suicide prevention hotline at 10:30 a.m. yesterday morning just before going to a steep cliff near her town and throwing herself off, falling a distance of about 100 feet. Police, alerted by the crisis hotline, found her body soon after. Related Police suspect homophobia in murders of four men found floating in river Im in shock, Christophe Tardieux, a comic book illustrator who worked with Grandjean, told Le Parisien. Her wife contacted me at the end of the day to tell me the terrible news. Its a waste, and I dont think there was anything that could have been done to prevent it.Her death follows several years of anonymous harassment. In 2023, she was the only teacher in a small rural preschool in nearby Moussages, population 300, when someone painted the words Sale gouine (Dirty dyke) on a wall in the courtyard. It was the first of several messages over the next few months, others of which included Va crever sale gouine (Die, dirty dyke) and Gouine = Pdophile (Dyke = Pedophile). Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Grandjean-Paccoud said that she never came out publicly in the town, but she was married to a woman, and she suspected people knew about her sexual orientation. She filed five different police reports during that period, but the cases didnt move forward.The towns government suggested installing a security camera in the courtyard, but some of the parents objected, Thierry Pajot, a local union leader, told Le Parisien at the time. Some parents even threatened to stop sending their kids to school because of the harassment. Two days before the start of the 2024-2025 school year, there was more graffiti that said, Pedophile. Grandjean-Paccoud was put on a leave of absence for health reasons for the full school year, and the town announced on Facebook that two new teachers were being brought in.The regions educational director wanted Grandjean-Paccoud to take a position at a different school for her own safety, 20 Minutes reports, but she refused.Its too much! Pajot said. She said stop! This is blackmail.Nothing was done to help the teacher. We have the feeling that the town wanted her to quit so that they could find peace and quiet again. This town doesnt deserve a school from the Republic.Well, we might have some peace and quiet again, one mother of a child in the school told Le Parisien at the time. This harassment destroyed her, Pajot said. Especially since she wasnt supported by either the education directors, who wanted to send her to a different school, which she refused, nor by the town hall.Tardieux said that she was in a state of great fragility because of the anonymous harassment, and that there were several other events that occurred this past year that added to her feeling of injustice.First, the dismissal of her complaint, then an education inspector who she thought didnt help her this whole year got promoted, Tardieux said. Theres a message in the fact that she chose the first day of school to die. Madame Grandjean-Paccoud, recognized for her commitment, is a respected figure in the Cantal, the regions educational director said in a statement, referring to the region where she lived. After anonymous threats in 2024, she went on leave, but the academy of Clermont-Ferrand followed her situation closely and prepared for her return while respecting her wishes.The statement offered condolences to her wife, family, colleagues, and students.Editors note: This article mentions suicide. If you need to talk to someone now, call the Trans Lifeline at1-877-565-8860. Its staffed by trans people, for trans people. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for LGBTQ youth at1-866-488-7386. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at1-800-273-8255.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.