Another gay harassment lawsuit filed in Minnesota
Another lawsuit has been filed against a school district in Minnesota, which has been accused of allowing homophobic bullying.
Last month, a suit was filed on behalf of five students in the Anoka-Hennepin school district, where a number of LGBT teen suicides have been reported.
The students said school officials failed to protect them and that a āgag policyā restricting teachersā ability to discuss gay and lesbian issues made the problem worse.
The latest lawsuit was filed by a lesbian middle-school student who claims teachers did nothing to prevent her from being abused and attacked. It is a companion suit to the first, and school district officials are said to be aware that more may be filed.
According to the first action, filed at the US District Court for the District of Minnesota, the students faced daily abuse, threats, violence and humiliation, including ābeing urinated on, being stabbed in the neck with a pencil, being choked, being pushed into walls, being shoved forcefully into lockers [and] having objects thrown at them in classā.
The complaint adds that many attacks took place in view of school officials but no action was taken. Instead, the bullied students were told to āignoreā the harassment or were even told they were to blame for it, through their behaviour or appearance.
Both lawsuits demand the end of the districtās āneutrality policyā on gay and lesbian issues, as well as damages for the plaintiffs.
Anoka-Hennepin school districtās policy says that āin the course of their professional duties [teachers must] remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation.ā
While the school district argues that this is a āneutrality policyā, gay rights campaigners call it a āgag clauseā which prevents teachers from supporting LGBT students and stops them acting fully to prevent homophobic bullying.
After a spate of suicides, the US Justice and Education departments began investigating the district last November.
