Minnesota school district settles lawsuit over gay slurs

[William769]

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Minnesota's biggest public school district has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit with six current and former students awarding them $270,000 after finding they were subjected to slurs, threats and attacks for their real or perceived sexual orientation as gays or lesbians.

The settlement reached with the students and the U.S. Justice and Education Departments, was approved by the Anoka-Hennepin School District board on Monday and must be approved by a federal judge, officials said.

Under its terms, the students split $270,000 and the district will be subject to federal oversight for five years.

"Harassment by or against students in schools is unacceptable, and not a 'rite of passage' to be endured by anyone," Thomas Perez, assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-minnesota-harassmenttre82505b-20120305,0,6331697.story

[longship]

1. Tolerance for bullying is despicable

In 8th and 9th grades I was bullied at a school where the administration's sole answer to my parents was that "boys will be boys". This was in 1961-2 when maybe one didn't challenge the system and society was decidedly not as prone to filing lawsuits. I did come through this period but not without some scars.

If there was one thing I would change about the education system --- I'm a retired teacher --- it would be to institute a student's bill of rights. Primary amongst those rights would be the right not to be bullied.

Nuf said?

[qb]

2. Finally... the school district leaders have to stuff their sanctimonious BS

and create a safe learning environment for ALL of their students.

[William769]

3. Thats how I read it.