Five students are to sue a Minnesota school district after a policy limiting staff discussions about gay and lesbian issues left them at risk of anti-gay bullying.
The students from the Anoka-Hennepin School District, who claim to have suffered verbal and physical abuse as a result of the policy, are now hoping for monetary damages.
They allege they fell victim to anti-gay slurs as well as being urinated on, choked or stabbed in the neck with pencils. Of the five students, one identified as lesbian, one gay and one bisexual with the other two students targeted because they were perceived as being gay; one for his personal beliefs, and the other because he has two fathers.
The lawsuit notes how at least four gay or lesbian students are believed to have committed suicide between November 2009 and July 2010 as a result of homophobic bullying. The district of 40,000 students, which is the largest in the state, has had a total of seven cases of suicide since the end of 2009.
The students stated that their grades suffered as a result of the policy and some even transferred to other schools and districts to escape.
It is understood that cases of homophobia were regularly reported to district staff but little action was taken. Although the district has defended its current policy, it will be reviewing the lawsuit and making changes to its training programmes.
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