Published September 16, 2026 on 세계일보
(translated to English from the original Korean)
Tyler Clementi Foundation President
Takes 15 Months to Reconnect with World After Grief:
“I Am the Only One Who Can Best Talk About My Son”
Exhibition of Instruments Used During His Life and Performance Videos
The Historical Society of New York Museum, located at 170 Central Park West in Manhattan, New York. On one side of the fourth floor, there is a permanent exhibition titled “Tyler Clementi’s Musical Life.” It features a 2000 German-made violin, two bows, and a black case. Tyler’s name tag is attached to the score of Max Bruch’s Concerto No. 1 on the music stand, while a 6-minute and 8-second video of an eighteen-year-old Tyler playing the prelude in 2010 plays on a screen next to it. The explanatory text concludes: “The objects placed here reflect the joy of his musical life.”
On the 1st (local time), I met the person who best understood that joy at a cafe a few blocks from the museum. His mother, Jane Clementi (pictured), President of the Tyler Clementi Foundation, choked up when she mentioned her son’s name. She said Tyler was a kind child who disliked being the center of attention. President Jane welcomed the reporter from Korea, saying, “Since many Korean parents have their children play musical instruments, he had many Korean friends while participating in an orchestra.”
Tyler’s death served as a catalyst for bringing cyberbullying and issues concerning LGBTQ+ youth into public discourse in the United States. Everyone talked about Tyler, but no one truly knew him. “I thought that only his mother could speak about Tyler with respect,” said CEO Jane.
It took her 15 months to open up, despite having worked as a nurse for 37 years. She recalled that time, saying, “It was hard to even get up in the morning, and no matter who spoke, it sounded like nothing but a murmur.” She made her first appearance on a morning broadcast in December 2011. “When I watch that broadcast, it doesn’t feel like me,” CEO Jane said. “My speech was slow, and my voice was hoarse.” She continues to receive psychological counseling once a month, a practice she started around that time.
Tyler Clementi’s belongings on display at the New York Historical Society Museum.
The foundation took shape in 2012 when a New York philanthropist donated a large sum of money. That was when they appointed their first full-time director. The foundation’s central activity is a pledge campaign encouraging people to step forward instead of remaining bystanders who walk past bullying. A federal bill mandating anti-bullying policies in universities bears her son’s name. First proposed in 2010, it remains pending. Representative Jane stated, “I understand the power of the law. However, I want to focus on changing people’s hearts.”
When asked what message she wanted to convey to bereaved parents in Korea, she said the situation in the U.S. is no different. She emphasized, “If you have diabetes, you take insulin; if you have heart problems, you change your diet. Mental health should be treated in the same way, but there is stigma and shame. Suicide adds another layer to that. It constantly returns to the question, ‘Why didn’t my child tell me?’ That is why we need to share more.”
Her son’s story has also been preserved in music. The nine-movement choral work “Tyler Suite,” dedicated by composers, features songs by the mother, father, and brother, with the violin connecting the two. It is scheduled to be performed this coming November at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where Tyler attended.