Student’s October suicide causes discussion on campus welfare checks

By Jay Roberson

Following the death of sophomore Raven Syed in October 2024, some Rider community members began to question the measures that could have been taken to prevent his passing. 

Syed, who was an actuarial science major and identified as a transgender man, held various leadership roles on campus – including working as a copy editor at The Rider News, so his death was a shock to many at Rider. 

In an Oct. 15 universitywide email, President Gregory Dell’Omo stated, “We are deeply saddened to share the heartbreaking news that Raven Syed, a cherished member of our Rider University community, passed away.” 

According to the autopsy report from the Middlesex Medical Examiner’s Office obtained May 2 by The Rider News, Syed’s cause of death was suicide from an overdose with over-the-counter medication of diphenhydramine and acetaminophen. 

Multiple medications purchased on Oct. 10 were found in his room, including two empty packages of Benadryl (diphenhydramine), two bottles of acetaminophen; one empty; and two bottles of Advil. 

Though the cause of death was never stated by the university, many students suspected Syed had taken his own life. 

Sophomore secondary education major Adam Duggan, who uses they/them pronouns, was Syed’s roommate and former partner. 

“I had talked with members of the Lawrence Police Department and Public Safety about everything that had gone on. It was, by all accounts, a very clear cause of death, right?” Duggan said. “That’s a large detail that was omitted, it probably shouldn’t have been. In doing so, it brings a greater awareness into mental health skills of trans students, and students in general.”

Signs of concern

Duggan noted during the weeks leading up to Syed’s suicide, there were some indicators that his mental health was declining. 

“I knew of a few classes that he had missed … but I would say if the university had noticed that you’re missing that many classes that early on, there should have been some sort of check in,” said Duggan.

Duggan said they did not share concerns about Syed with university officials. 

Although some colleagues at The Rider News knew Syed was struggling, no one on staff believed he was in crisis or potentially a danger to himself. 

Though Duggan said that the university had not checked in on Syed, the Dean of Students Christine Mehlhorn and Director of Public Safety Matthew Babcock could not state whether or not they checked in on Syed because of federal health and student privacy laws.

Additionally, Duggan said that Syed had initially been receiving services through Rider’s counseling center, but he had been out-sourced to another therapist that specializes in trans identities. 

“He did not continue going [to counseling services] in sophomore year. It appeared to be a personal choice. Many people, myself included, pushed him to make a different choice, and he actually had an appointment scheduled for the week he passed away,” Duggan said. 

There are various resources available for trans students on campus including access to the PRIDE Center through The Center of Family Services, the Roy. G. Biv support group for LGBTQIA+ students through the counseling center and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Rider Counselor Jonah Friedman, who did not serve as a counselor to Syed, said “I think all of us at the university have an individual responsibility to be there for trans students … I think at the most basic level this is staff and faculty just respecting students’ pronouns and identities.” 

The university avoided the use of pronouns when announcing Syed’s death through email. Duggan noted that Syed had struggled with being misgendered by members of the Rider community throughout his time at Rider.

“I would say [the university] tried to avoid the use of direct pronouns for either legal risks or just general implications of getting it wrong,” Duggan said. “I was also never asked [about his pronouns] which annoys me a bit because … of all the other questions I was getting asked, pronouns was never one of them.”

Syed also reportedly had an estranged relationship with his mother due to his gender identity. In an article published by Elvira Syed on The Daily Wire she included what she said was his suicide note which stated: “I just want to make one thing clear: I didn’t do this because I am on Testosterone. I don’t want my death to be used as a reason to be transphobic. I did this because of all the trauma my mom has caused me. I’ve turned into a person I completely dislike, and no one believes I can get better, not even the person I love the most. I am sorry. I’ve lost faith. Raven (he/him/his)” 

Elvira Syed did not respond to multiple requests for an interview from The Rider News. In the online article, she stated her belief that prescribed hormones and lack of support exacerbated her child’s depression.

In regards to their own experiences, Duggan said they feel that Rider’s counseling services helped them, but found that going to an outside service worked better for them. They expressed that Rider should do more to advocate for student’s mental health. 

“I don’t see a huge push towards advocating for any sort of mental health. I think the university as a whole could really prioritize how mental health is viewed. I know across the student body, it is a talked about issue, especially as college students, but at the university level, it usually has a smaller spot,” Duggan said. 

Welfare checks at Rider

Babcock, who in October was a Public Safety captain, was one of the first responders on the scene of Raven Syed’s death.

While tearing up during an April interview, Babcock said, “From a personal standpoint, you’re never ready for something like that. It hit a lot of us pretty hard because we’re not used to doing that kind of stuff … We obviously do our best to make sure that never happens again.”

When a Rider community member is unsure about the well-being of another student, they can anonymously report a concern through Rider’s “Report and Support” page, email the dean of students, contact the counseling center or reach out to Public Safety to perform a welfare check.

Friedman said, “Staff and faculty are expected to make that type of referral if they are seeing an issue. [The counseling center] does training with people like community assistants and community directors, in terms of reporting.”

The first part of this process involves Public Safety finding the student to check in with them in person and give any resources needed. 

Babcock said, “We try to go out to their dorm room, if they live on campus, meet with them and speak with them to see how they’re doing. If they are not there, we use every resource we have … to see them physically to make sure they’re OK.”

The next step in the process is dependent on whether or not the student needs assistance from the university, Babcock said.

“On a more severe call, we’re just trying to guide [the student] in the direction to get help. Whether that’s counseling services next door, Mercer County mobile outreach or taking them directly to the hospital. Whatever we can do to get them in the right direction,” Babcock said. 

Mehlhorn also plays a role in these checks, as she oversees the Student Welfare Committee. According to the university website, the Student Welfare Committee implements early intervention for at-risk students. 

Mehlhorn said, “[The Student Welfare Committee] gets lots of pieces of information from all over campus, whether it be from students concerned about their friends or not friends, just students concerned about other students, faculty and staff concerned about students, and we have a number of ways of then acting on the information.”

Depending on the situation, there is usually a follow-up from the counseling center ensuring the student is receiving the resources they need. 

Friedman said, “We see our students for individual sessions and ongoing therapy, but if someone has a concern about a student on campus … we encourage everyone to report to us.”

As the Rider community continues to reflect on Raven Syed’s death, Duggan hopes that there is more awareness regarding students’ mental health, but more specifically, trans students’ mental health. 

“While I understand that no situation is ever perfect, there can definitely be, at the very least, lessons learned from this to reply better in a situation that hopefully never happens again,” Duggan said. 

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Additional resources can be found at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources 

Rider’s Counseling Center is located in Zoerner House near the south entrance of campus and has walk-in appointments available. Free mental health support is also available for students through Uwill, which offers virtual appointments with licensed therapists.