Posted on 08/06/2004 5:42:24 PM PDT by Coleus
In a ruling that gives students attending New Jersey schools greater protection against bias than their peers nationwide, the state Division on Civil Rights has awarded $50,000 to a boy who was slapped, punched and repeatedly taunted by classmates who perceived him as homosexual.
The Toms River Regional School District, which must pay the award, also was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $10,000 to the student's mother and to toughen its policies against gay-bashing.
State Civil Rights Director J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, overruling an administrative law judge's decision, concluded the district's efforts to stop the bullying were "extremely limited" and allowed a "hostile school environment" to develop.
It was the first New Jersey case to determine how much school administrators must do to protect students from discrimination by other students. Vespa-Papaleo's ruling holds school officials to the same tough standards that employers must enforce in the workplace.
"While there is merit to the observation that the immaturity of children may increase the likelihood that school students will be exposed to hurtful behavior, it is also important to recognize that schools are responsible for teaching children what types of behavior are and are not acceptable," Vespa-Papaleo wrote.
Monahan said the district does not tolerate anti-gay bias and suspended several of the offending students. "We strongly believe the school district acted appropriately, effectively and promptly for this young man," he said.
The ruling, which identified the student by his initials, said he had been taunted with homosexual slurs at least nine times in the seventh grade and on one occasion was subjected to a "simulated sex act." It quoted his mother as saying she did not know whether her son was gay but she would love him in any case and would not allow him to "suffer constant sexual harassment" at school.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
Why didn't they punish the bullies who beat on the kid, I bet they got off.
The schools should feel free to have less tolerance for bullying in general. And schools perhaps should be more accountable for limiting bullying. But to single out this particular type of taunting/bullying, while surely a common one, falls prey to the many problems of PCness.
Sounds like I better brush up on my "gay" act at the workplace, get picked on and hit the jackpot!
No it is not. Schools are for academics, not socializing our children.
That's not what they tell the homeschoolers, though.
Suspended? For how long? What about criminal charges and a finding of delinquency?
Lame, lame, lame, Monahan. Nice to see he got a nice solid smackdown in court for his lameness.
6th grade bullies in my ny upstate elementary school beat you up for getting A's. This misbehavior was widespread.
Meanwhile, the boy who got slapped and spit on because he was a nerdy kid with glasses did not get a settlement because he was "handicapped" nor did the girl with braces who reads her bible at recess.
Fat kids, nerds, geeks, brains, four-eyes, members of band, et al. are not protected by such rulings.
A better system is to prohibit ALL abuse and bullying. But then the same could be said for crimes of robbery and murder.
Sounds like a good funding plan to get a few of your tax dollars back to pay for a few years of Christian school. Think of it as a sort of "voucher" program.
Homosexual Agenda Escalates in the Public Schools
Teacher Molests Student, 13 yrs. old, NO JAIL TIME.
States Criticized for Lack of Sexual Orientation Laws, NJ is Rated #1
New Jersey came in first with 95 points,
You mean the homeskoolers? :)
Same thing at my guido elementary school on Long Island. I was regularly beaten and called a "faggot" even though I am very much a flaming HETERO.
Being that those kids were not very bright, they probably wound up with the Keystone Cops, er, Nassau County Police. ;-)
These are the stories which are supposed to make voters sympathetic to homosexuals?
Gee more homosexuals recruiting our children! lets give away marriage from familits to recreational adult sex!
(s)
Thats just "gay".(/s)
hehe!
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