ACLU Sues High School For Cultivating Homophobia

[meegbear]

Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California, is being sued for “fostering a sexist and homophobic atmosphere.”

The high school, which was in the news previously when they canceled a planned production of Rent, also failed to protect a student after three football players made &imgrefurl=http://ryanjdavis.blogspot.com/2009/02/atmosphere-of-hate-in-rent-canceling.html&usg=__HkZdBHV847a88PzJo2gF_LMrCAY=&h=369&w=400&sz=19&hl=en&start=13&sig2=mU8305wqjjfj-T8u-6te3g&um=1&tbnid=ihYmPujXuaL8XM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcorona%2Bdel%2Bmar%2Bhigh%2Bschool%2Bsymbol%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1&ei=v6rCSYTvGor0sAP5pbHeBg">a video post on Facebook in which they “threatened to rape and kill a gay female classmate and used slurs to describe homosexuals.”

It was posted on a fourth students profile but has since been taken down.

That student reportedly threatened the female classmate in school. The ACLU says the school did little to investigate the incident, “included assigning an assistant football coach at the school to investigate the harassment, an obvious conflict of interest because three of the four accused students are members of the football team.”

Only one boy was suspended.

The ACLU suit specifies, “school and district officials, through their action and inaction, have not only failed to take steps to address this hostile environment, but they have contributed to it and given sanction to it.” The threatened young woman had to change her school schedule and the administration did nothing to protect her, despite repeated complaints from her parents. They are now considering a restraining order against the menacing male students.

The document filed by ACLU attorney Lori Rifkin, went on to note slurs are commonplace in the school’s environment. “Students are routinely referred to…with words such as ‘dyke,’ ‘butch,’ ‘fairy,’ ‘gay,’ ‘homo’ and ‘queer’ by other students at school in hallways and classrooms within earshot of teachers, but without repercussion.”

Attorneys for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District say there are, “numerous factual errors and mistakes” in the legal document. But the school district claims, “these allegations are very serious and the district will utilize its best efforts to ascertain the truth of these matters, as well as to be sure there are procedures to promptly resolve discrimination and harassment disputes,” according to district Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard.

http://www.gaywired.com/Article.cfm?ID=21952

[LostinVA]

1. I would sue both the school district AND the players

I'd definitely have restraining orders served on the players. CA has good terroristic threats/stalking laws.

They also should be thrown off any and all sports teams they're on.

Sociopathic scum.

[ThomCat]

2. I'm not sure that the ACLU would be involved

in suing the players. That's not what they do. But I agree that the family should definitely pursue those players any way legally possible. A restraining order isn't enough.

[LostinVA]

3. I don't mean the ACLU, I mean the girl threatened

CA has strict laws about things like this.

FRom what I've read (in a book by the attorney would helped fashion these laws), you heve to get a TRO first. SHE shouldn't be changing her schedule, THEY should, and a TRO might well have the creeps out of school.

[Jokerman]

4. Time to renew my ACLU dues.

This is why I've been a member for 20 years.

[rolltideroll]

5. Heck, I am a good ole boy from Alabama

and I remember this stuff running rampant at my school.Good on the ACLU to crack down a little. Good luck.

[newtothegame]

6. Whose gonna pay if the ACLU wins? Are they suing to change behavior, or suing for punative damages?

[Jokerman]

7. You're bringing that shit up again?

I remember this bullshit from the recent 10 commandments thread.

The ACLU sues to change behavior but in this case I hope the girl gets a private lawyer and goes after the school.

The action that hurts the taxpayer is being done by the public employees, NOT the victim or the lawyers.

[newtothegame]

9. Why did I ask a question??? Stupid!! STUPIDDD!!! I HATE MYSELF!!!

:banghead:

[Jokerman]

10. So I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?

You just wanted to throw your bomb and leave quietly like you did before:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3788690&mesg_id=3788794

Your "question" was nothing more than another lame attack on the ACLU.

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[nichomachus]

16. The taxpayers will pay

and if that pisses them off enough, they make sure some heads roll at the school. That's the idea behind punitive damages. If the taxpayers don't make some changes, then they may end up paying again down the road. That's called shooting yourself in the foot. They can sit home and whine about the ACLU all they want, but they'll keep paying for allowing the school to be a hotbed of homophobic behavior.

[Jokerman]

18. Damn right they will.

Anyone who tries to portray the ACLU as greedy or wants to blame them for the loss of tax dollars is either seriously deluded or has an agenda.

Thanks.

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

17. i'm sure the school has insurance against being sued

[bluedawg12]

8. Threats of physical violence in the current climate are tolerated if the target is gay?

How many school violence news stories do we have to endure before people wake up and realize that gay people deserve the same protection as everyone else?

[newtothegame]

11. Amen sister. n/t

[goddess40]

19. Why is it the the victim is the one that has to change their schedule?

"The threatened young woman had to change her school schedule"

My son's have been tormented and they were always the one that had to adjust their schedules making them stand out even more than their Autism spectrum disorders already causes them to stand out.

I hope the ACLU wins big for this young lady and for all of America.