Classes at El Dorado High School were scheduled to resume Tuesday as students and staff mourned a 31-year-old photography teacher one day after she was found hanging inside a classroom at El Dorado High School in Placentia.
School officials had canceled classes for the day on Monday after Jillian Jacobson was declared dead. The beloved teacher was discovered by students who had arrived at their first-period class around 8:30 a.m. only to find the door to Room 902 locked, according to Lt. Eric Point of the Placentia Police Department.
The teens alerted another teacher, who then opened the door. After the woman was found hanging from the ceiling, school staff came in and brought her down, Point said.
Based on the preliminary investigation, it was believed she died around 7 a.m. An autopsy was expected to take place later this week.
Police officials have said thus far there was no indication of foul play. Placentia police have described her death as an “apparent suicide,” according to a news release from the department.
No suicide note was found.
In a letter to students sent following Jacobson’s death, Placentia-Yorba Linda schools Superintendent Doug Domene discussed what he called an “extremely tragic event.”
“Words could never express our true sorrow regarding this loss,” he said in letter. “While we may never make sense of nor understand why this occurred, we do know that turning to each other during this time for support is essential.”
A candlelight vigil was held in Jacobson’s memory Monday night, and Flowers, candles and notes were still visible around the Orange County campus the following day.
She was remembered by students and those who knew her as kind, inspirational and much more of a friend than just a teacher. Jacobson was a popular at the school, which she had worked at for 10 years, and had close friends among the faculty, according to Point.
One female student who didn’t want to be identified told KTLA that Jacobson often advocated against suicide.
“She always talked about how suicide was never the answer, that she had to deal with it,” the student said. “So just seeing this, it just makes you think what was wrong, like what happened to have her do this when she always talked about not doing it.”
Crisis counselors were expected to be on hand the remainder of the week to help grief-stricken students and faculty cope with Jacobson’s death.
KTLA’s Melissa Pamer contributed to this story.
