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A Brooklyn teen is suing a Flatbush parochial school and an ex-teacher for $22.5 million, charging the teacher punished him by forcing him to cross-dress.
Caleb Guerrier, 19, says that on the teacher's orders, six students at the Excelsior Seventh Day Adventist School grabbed him, threw him to the ground and dressed him in a wig, bra, skirt and high heels.
Caleb, who was 13 at the time, said he was so traumatized by the incident, he couldn't finish high school.
"I wouldn't like this to happen to anybody else. I know how much it hurts," the teen said yesterday as jury selection began in his Brooklyn Supreme Court case.
His suit seeks $2.5 million in actual damages and $20 million in punitive damages from the school and the teacher, Pauline Williamson, who reportedly has left the school.
"This was outrageous conduct not only for a teacher charged with the responsibility of building character in our young, but also for the administration of a school to allow students to be disciplined in this fashion," charged his lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein.
Martin Martynetz, a lawyer for the school, had no comment. Richard Granofsky, a lawyer for Williamson, did not return calls.
Caleb's suit says the incident occurred on April 24, 1995, when he was a seventh-grader at the school.
For making noise in class, Caleb was sent to Williamson's eighth-grade classroom, where a box containing the wig, bra, skirt and high heels was kept in the back. The clothing had been used to punish other boys in the past, the suit says.
Caleb said the teacher told him to put on the clothing. When he refused, she asked, "Do you need help?"
"He shook his head, ‘no,'" said Yanique Brisard, his sister and legal guardian.
"Then Miss Williamson looked at six students, they jumped up from their seats, beat him, ripped off his clothes and dressed him," said Brisard, 30.
Brisard said her brother was so traumatized, he dropped out of Fort Hamilton High School in the 10th grade.
He now works at an auto-parts store.
It kind of sounds like assault to me. Forget the "cross-dressing" part. The teacher-sanctioned beating of a student by his peers is gross misconduct at best, criminal at worst.
Of course, it seems odd that it took this long for this kid to come forth. Probably just talked to the wrong lawyer.
If its true these teachers are crazy.
A Hollywood writer could not have come up with a better name for a lawyer.
Sounds like a horrible set of circumstances. If true, needs to be prosecuted criminally also.
Just curious though. He has a guardian at age 19? It's his 30 year old sister? Why would he need a guardian unless there is some question about his legal competency? Where would his parents be in all of this, unless, of course, deceased or something? Suppose there's something more than meets the eye here?
Caleb's suit says the incident occurred on April 24, 1995, when he was a seventh-grader at the Excelsior Seventh Day Adventist School…her brother was so traumatized, he dropped out of Fort Hamilton High School in the 10th grade.
Oh yeah, he was so traumatized it took him three years to decide he couldn’t finish his schooling, even though he was now at a different school. Why, that sounds perfectly reasonable! NOT!
More likely, here is another high school drop-out, trying to blame the “system” for his own abject failure.
smells fishy. didn't drop until the 10th grade?
On an interesting side note:
Some half way rehab houses for young criminals used to use crossdressing as part of the rehab. They claimed that it helped break the macho exterior of the person and allowed them to finally ask for help (in some cases). I believe the practise was done away with 50 years ago.
Oh yeah, he was so traumatized it took him three years to decide he couldn’t finish his schooling, even though he was now at a different school. Why, that sounds perfectly reasonable! NOT!
Must be one of those post traumatic stress syndrome cases.
Must be one of those post traumatic stress syndrome cases.
...or maybe a post traumatic Dress syndrome.
In NY he couldn't drop out til 3 years later. 13 year-olds can't quit school in NY. By law, they have to be 16 to drop out.
I had that once, resulting from a rendevous in the back of a Dodge Dart.
Thank goodness it wasn't a Neon. The neighbors would have seen.
Remember, private schools are the answer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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