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Loading ...Appeals Court Urged To Uphold Calif. Gay Bullying Law
07.21.2008 6:07pm EDT
(San Diego, California) Lawyers for two students at a San Diego area school have asked a California appeals court to uphold a ruling that found the Poway Unified School District responsible for not protecting LGBT students.
The two students found the harassment so brutal that they both had to drop out of Poway High School and completed studies toward their high school diploma at home.
Represented by Lambda Legal they took the district to court in 2005.
During the trial the court was told that both Donovan and Ramelli reported the harassment to school officials but nothing was done. The jury found that the officials took “minimal or no action at all” when they reported the incidents. Further, the jury found that the harassment was so “severe and pervasive” that they awarded a combined $300,000 to the students.
Ramelli was awarded $175,000 and Donovan $125,000. They had sought $225,000 each.
The school district appealed to the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District.
In oral arguments today Lambda Legal said the jury verdict should be upheld to send a message to other school districts.
“Joey and Megan are seeking justice so that no other gay or lesbian student will have to endure what they did,” said Lambda attorney Brian Chase.
“This decision sent a clear message to schools across California that harassment of gay and lesbian students will not be tolerated,” Chase said.
“Hardly a day went by that I didn’t get shoved or called a name, so there was no way that anyone could question that what was happening to me was a serious, constant problem,” Ramelli said.
“I don’t want future gay and lesbian students at Poway to suffer from the same harassment I went through.”
There is no indication when the court may rule.
Censored — perhaps you can enlighten us as to why a 15 year old boy was “freaked out” by the behavior and dress of another…so much so that he felt he had to shoot him in the head? If that’s not a hate crime, I don’t know what is.
Phone the cops,tell the principal ,anything you can to expose these young criminals
This kind of wicked behaviour from so called straight self-rightous students,should never be tolerated,in this day and age.Schools must take action to stop this.Put in the rules,no bullying or harrassing students,or your out.
Basically a continuing series of hate crimes. And isn’t it so interesting how conservative religious people will do anything they can to try and prevent anti-bullying laws, etc. They are a total disgrace to the meaning of Jesus Life
This story is titled “Appeals Court Urged To Uphold Calif. Gay Bullying Law”. But nowhere in the story does it actually mention the law in question, only the suit by the two teens.
re: Lawrence Kink/Brandon McIerney I know on the surface it seems to be a gay bashing but when one digs deeper there is way more to it. I don’t think this is a Mathew Shepard all over again.
All while the Lawrence King / Brandon McInerney trial is getting set to go forward…