Updated: Tuesday, May 3, 2011 --- 8:51 p.m.

A 15-year-old boy douses himself with gasoline and tries to light himself on fire because he is being bullied.

School officials in Waupun are demanding answers, thankful the teenager was not able to spark a blaze.

Waupun Schools Liaison Officer Patti Toll says, "Once at the hospital it was clear he needed some immediate intervention."

A 9th grade boy walks into Waupun High School with a water bottle full of gasoline, goes to the bathroom and pours it on his head and face. Then he tries to light himself on fire.

He says it's all because he is being bullied.

Waupun Superintendent Don Childs says, "The issue in this particular case is a child who has a severe illness and unfortunately acted out on it."

Trying to use matches the boy couldn't get the fire started and was not physically hurt but was taken to the hospital.

Childs says the student was on medication for a previously diagnosed mental illness but told school officials he tried to hurt himself because he was being bullied.

Childs says, "Very often kids don't understand other kids who are having behavioral difficulties and they may occasionally bully them. We don't have direct evidence that that's the case. We have some indications that there may have been some bullying involved."

Adults found out about the attempt to hurt himself when the 15-year-old showed up in the school's counseling office smelling like gasoline.

He said he was trying to make a statement.

Toll says, "He specifically told me that he was not suicidal."

School officials say the bullying claims are under investigation and the student never shared bullying concerns with anyone before trying to light himself on fire.

Childs says they will continue to investigate the claims and will discipline any bullies appropriately but at this point will not make any changes to the schools anti-bullying programs.

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Posted Tuesday, May 3, 2011 --- 5:30 p.m.

WAUPUN, Wis. (AP) -- A school official in Waupun says a student who'd been the victim of bullying doused himself with gasoline and tried to set himself on fire.

Superintendent Don Childs says the teen entered the Waupun Area Junior/Senior High School on April 25 with a water bottle filled with gasoline. He says the teen doused himself in a bathroom with the intention of burning himself.

Childs says the teen came to the school office smelling of gasoline. Childs says the boy told officials he didn't want to kill himself but had wanted to hurt himself.

The teen said his classmates had bullied him. The Reporter in Fond du Lac (http://bit.ly/l2RXbj) said Monday the boy had been hospitalized.

Childs says authorities have the names of the alleged bullies. Police are investigating.

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Information from: The Reporter, http://www.fdlreporter.com

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.