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Loading ...Minn. school district settles gay harassment suit
08.13.2009 3:45pm EDT
A school district in Minnesota agreed to pay a $25,000 settlement to a high school junior who was subjected to harassment by two teachers around his perceived sexual orientation, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
Teacher Diane Cleveland commented that the boy’s “fence swings both ways”; when he wrote a paper on Ben Franlin, Cleveland said he had a “thing for older men.” Another teacher, Walter Fison, said the boy “enjoys wearing women’s clothes.”The settlement comes after an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights; the school district denies it violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Both teachers hae received “outstanding performance” awards from the district in recent years.
Thats a Whole Reason I dropped out of High school…Gym Class i was tired of getting beaten Up pissed on by other Classmates …. I told Teachers and Principal and ever District admin… Not a thing was done No investagating no nothing…..Of course the Teachers or Admin, would never admit it… They are to immature and Stupid to admit they did Wrong.. I give Props to the High School GROWN UP That did the Right Thing and Stood Up for Himself… You are a Role Model now For Others In school who are being harrassed..
I agree with Warren… no disciplinary action??? If all he got was $25,000 for being bullied by teachers, then he got screwed.
I remember when a friend of my sister’s was bullied by her Lutheran principle. I pitied that poor boy.
It’s really sad when our EDUCATORS, who are supposed to be sources of enlightenment, bully LGBT students.
I just hope its the teachers that have to pay this 25,000$ and not the tax payers.
Good for the Minnesota Human Rights they did the right thing, teachers are suppose to stand up for there students.
@Warren
Once again, I agree with you!
Disgusting, money not even an admission of harassment, apology or required sensitivity training.
“Outstanding Performance” As a teacher I had a definite distaste for such awards. This story gives one good reason why. I am pleased to see pre-service diversity training programs offered for teachers, but they need to be REQUIRED, and also REQUIRED for in-service teachers– NO EXCEPTIONS!
It’s not really much of a victory. School districts are often willing to make cash settlements like that because it’s not their money they’re doling out – it’s the taxpayers’ money. They make no admission of guilt, or even that the incident happened. The award should have been deducted from the teachers’ salaries. Instead they probably just diverted money from the library budget and washed their hands of the matter.
The article notes that the female teacher was sent to a week of what amounts to a “re-education camp” but called in sick four out of the five days, so never completed her diversity training. She was transferred to a different school for a semester. The male teacher is not known to have had any disciplinary action at all.
Hallelujah! I hope there are similar victories across the country! I remember high school teachers – back in my day – mocking flamboyant members of our community and they suffered no reprisals. Until faculty/administration truly take us seriously this kind of abuse will continue. Student-on-student abuse will be diminished, in large part, when the teachers finally get on board. Way too much bad behavior gets tolerated in the classroom.
I’d suggest they’ve put on quite the performance for far too long; I’ve two words for that: peer review.
I’m so happy for kid — if you’re reading this, congratulations! I wish I had done what you did — it took real courage and I hope it helps those who follow you. And make good use of the money — get an education. I suspect yours may have also left a lot to be desired academically.
“outstanding performance”
Obviously the criteria for receiving these awards is overtly myopic and needs to be reviewed & changed.