Anoka-Hennepin, Minnesota School District, Faces Another Lawsuit Over Alleged Gay Bullying

Minnesota's Anoka-Hennepin School District is facing another lawsuit over alleged bullying of a student for sexual orientation and gender nonconformity.

The lawsuit, filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, alleges that a 15-year-old student at Jackson Middle School was the victim of harassment and physical assault when she started going to school there last September. NCLR argues that school officials failed to help the student or intervene.

The suit alleges that the student, identified in the document as E.R., was subjected to anti-gay slurs.

"Predictably, further isolating and stigmatizing E.R. served only to increase the harassment," the complaint reads. "The other students continued to mock her in class, saying that she had to use the locker room separately from other students because she 'doesn't know what locker room to use' and calling her slurs like 'he/she' and 'faggot.'"

The complaint further alleges that when E.R. complained to teachers, school officials isolated her by only allowing her to walk in the hallways when no one else was around and not permitting her to eat lunch with other students.

This suit comes after five former and current students from Anoka-Hennepin, the state's largest school district, sued the district last month. The plaintiffs argue that the district's policy that staff must remain neutral on topics of sexual orientation keeps teachers from being able to protect students who are perceived as gay from bullying.

Over the last two years, nine district students have committed suicide, several of whom were gay and reportedly acted as a result of being bullied, according The Minnesota Independent.

The situation in Anoka-Hennepin Schools is so bad that Minnesota public health officials have deemed the area a "suicide contagion" because of the unusually high number of suicides and attempted suicides, according to the school district's website.

Critics have turned to blaming the district's representation, Oval Office contender Rep. Michelle Bachmann, and anti-gay activists.

The Justice Department and the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights have launched an investigation into allegations of civil rights laws violations and complaints of discrimination based on gender nonconformity.

"We were told when the original lawsuit was filed that there may be more, so this is not a surprise," district Superintendent Dennis Carlson told the Star-Tribune of the latest lawsuit.

NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell says the district's inaction violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act, among other legal rights, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

"The facts are chillingly similar and also heartbreaking," she told MPR of the lawsuits. "These are students who were called all sorts of names [and] faced a daily barrage of anti-gay slurs directed at them."

Comments

[Maria Kovacs]

11:15 AM on 08/25/2011

As much as I hate Michele Bachmann, we cannot blame her and her views for this type of bullying. She may be a homophobic idiot, but I doubt she would condone bullying or champion for GLBTQ kids killing themselves.

The problem here is ignorance. Bachmann's position on the topic of homosexuality surely doesn't help the ignorance and intolerance of this area. Clearly, more attention and education is required in this district. The other problem here is PARENTING. Parents have all the power when it comes to their children; parents ought to teach tolerance and acceptance and teach their children that bullying is wrong. The crux here is that the parents may be fueling the fire so to speak- their ignorance and intolerance and fear may be taking its toll on their children. Perhaps the Minnesota Public health folks should reach out to the wider community as well, if they want to see any change.

[TaxpayingVoter]

04:32 PM on 08/22/2011

I was bullied in junior high. I was told by the Vice Principal that it takes two to fight and my complaint was summarily dismissed.

Sometimes the people in school administrations are completely clueless.

[acumenguy]

01:36 PM on 08/20/2011

You've got to be F'ing putting me on

"The plaintiffs argue that the district's policy that staff must remain neutral on topics of sexual orientation keeps teachers from being able to protect students who are perceived as gay from bullying."


Does this mean everyone else is "protected" from bulling, but if the bullies pick on gay/perceived gay kids, the staff has to remain NEUTRAL?

And tell me ... What the heck is "gender nonconformity?" A new crime? It sounds like preperation for "special handeling."

[Maria Kovacs]

11:18 AM on 08/25/2011

Gender nonconformity would be boys dressing like girls and vice versa- probably kids in the early stages of gender identity disorder. Some people are so afraid of what's different, they can't help but lash out. The ignorance and intolerance of this nation is killing some of its precious future. So sad.

[MichaelRCooke]

07:41 AM on 08/20/2011

Yes, and being harassed daily and becoming strong enough to handle it, that's what becomes of queers that do not kill themselves. Fear us. We are stronger than you will ever be.

[been2there]

02:11 PM on 08/15/2011

Parents should also be held accountable for permitting their children to be bullies. If one of my kids had used a slur against another child there would have been apologies, lectures, grounding, and whatever else it took to stop the behavior and change the attitudes. Furthermore, they knew it!

[Maria Kovacs]

11:19 AM on 08/25/2011

I just posted a comment about this- parenting is part of the problem here. What's frightening is that the parents are probably ignorant and intolerant, and it rubs off on their children, who deal with it in the only way they know how- rejecting the unfamiliar through bullying.

[Atwill]

06:58 PM on 08/13/2011

Homophobic people and funides and evangelicals and bible thumpers should not be allowed to be teachers or to have any job near children.

[Atwill]

08:49 AM on 08/13/2011

Every single school official and teacher who know about the bullies yet do nothing to stop the bullies should be brought up on charges of murder when a gay kid kill themselves due to being bullied and no one in charge at the school does anythng about it.

[Ghostberry]

12:20 PM on 08/12/2011

Happens anywhere you have bully parents and a bully staff, shame on them.

[sharingnews]

11:50 AM on 08/12/2011

Sexual Orientation is not the only reason students are bullied. It is wrong and unjustified and should not be condone by looking the other way.

I was mercilessly harassed as a new student in a town of 5000. My family was going through a rough time, and the entire town knew every bit of the juicy details. As I sat in my eighth grade study hall, a group of male students decided they had a right to make fun of my family, my siblings, and myself...for 40 full minutes. The teacher did nothing.

As I walked to my seat for the next class that happened to be across the same room, one of the boys pushed me and knocked my books to the ground, so I pushed him back and his books fell. The teacher took ME out into the hallway and asked why I did that. I went off. He had to bring me into a private room and chastised me again; again I went off even louder and more profane about him "babysitting" bullies. They took me very seriously. A little too seriously. They made us sit through eight weeks of antibullying/suicide prevention courses during homeroom.

But it got the point across, and that's what they need to do here.

[ColleenHarper]

07:23 PM on 08/12/2011

Well done! I'm glad you stood up for yourself!

[Maria Kovacs]

11:22 AM on 08/25/2011

I was bullied for being a "poor kid." I couldn't afford the right clothes or shoes or school supplies. My mom passed when I was in 6th grade, and people actually made fun of me for that. Children can be so cruel to one another. I never told teachers because I was scared, and sadly, they never noticed. Luckily, I rose above it, but clearly some kids feel there is no way out. Bullying, of any kind, should be discouraged and punishable.

[sharingnews]

12:21 PM on 08/31/2011

Yes, it is so sad. I also rose above it, but I think it definitely changes your perspective on how you want to treat people yourself (in a better way, of course). Best of Luck! SN

[DCmykl]

11:37 AM on 08/12/2011

I've read reports on some of the things the gay and perceived to be gay kids at Anoka-Hennepin schools were subjected to, and the journalistic language with which they are portrayed here doesn't even begin to do them justice. It's one thing to hear that a girl "at Jackson Middle School was the victim of harassment and physical assault," but quite another to know that she was relentlessly hounded by groups of young people who pushed and shoved her, hit her, threatened her with physical harm constantly and even attacked her all in the clear view of teachers and school administrators who di absolutely nothing to intervene. I won't even go into the suit's allegations that another student was subjected to "anti-gay slurs." Imagine yourself walking around your office, other place of employment, school, or a mall with groups of kids yelling the words you're thinking right now at you all the time. That isn't "harrassment." That's terrorism.

[ColleenHarper]

07:25 PM on 08/12/2011

OMG! I FULLY agree! This school district needs immediate federal intervention!

Children should NOT be subjected to any of this abuse, for ANY reason.

[Atwill]

08:51 AM on 08/13/2011

100% right. and the teachers who allow this to go on should be put in prison.

[brklynivn]

11:06 AM on 08/12/2011

This is Michelle Bachmann's district. Of course they do this to any kid not deemed "normal"...That's the evangelical way.

[dpavsek]

10:53 AM on 08/12/2011

It is so sad when government - in this case a school and school district - cannot and will not protect the most vulnerable in our midst. Children are our greatest national asset, yet it seems that in the Anoka-Hennepin School District not only do they not protect that assest, but allow the other children to grow up bigotted with hatred as thier motivating desire. How can parents allow this to continue? Maybe it is about time the DOJ looks into this. When the state sees this district as a suffering from "suicide contagion" something is fundamentally wrong. And all of this is being condoned by so-called Christians. Jesus said "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." But I guess that doesn't apply to gay neighbors.

[ColleenHarper]

07:28 PM on 08/12/2011

This is exactly the result of evangelical Christian churches preaching hatred and hostility toward gays and/or the "gay lifestyle." They are morally complicit in this abuse and ought to be ashamed that they have done this with not a shred of love for the individual, else they would have preached a far different message.

[Huzie]

10:42 AM on 08/12/2011

Unless Bacjmann's congressional district is overflowing with Evangelicals, for the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would vote for her. Bachmann's views certainly would seem to condone this behavior.

[Ghostberry]

12:24 PM on 08/12/2011

It is an almost entirley caucasian, above median wealth, very evangelical district. I mean they voted for this woman multiple times, if you want a peep inside their heads. And she ran on a blatant loud and proud anti gay platform.

[Huzie]

01:55 PM on 08/12/2011

Well that certainly explains it. I guess this crowd didn't vote for for Senator Al Franken in the last senatorial election. Thanks for the insight.

[hus4154]

10:38 AM on 08/12/2011

I love the way you've tied a lawsuit over ALLEDGED bullying of a student for sexual orientation and gender nonconformity to a political candidate who represents the Congressional district. While the school district is "huge," the Congressional district is still larger. Please tell me why any single citizen would be somehow responsible for an action in the district where they reside? But then, this is to promote the blogger's political agenda, isn't it?

[MosesDidItBest]

10:47 AM on 08/12/2011

Perhaps if you read for content, understood the law, human rights and the US Constitution you wouldn't ask that question.

[sharingnews]

11:45 AM on 08/12/2011

My degree is in Constitutional Law, and I'm asking the question. So let's blame somebody who works on the National Level for the State's problems? She has zero control over the laws enacted by the Representatives in her STATE's Congress; she does have a say (not even control) about the laws enacted Nationally, also known as Federal Laws.

So yes, why would you blame somebody who's job is to represent a state at the National Level for her state and local representatives obliviousness and incompetancy? I'm still asking the question.

[Casey90293]

10:32 AM on 08/12/2011

I got a flat tire driving through her district. Freakin' Bachmann! Its all her fault!!!

[DCmykl]

11:43 AM on 08/12/2011

It was probably God taking vengence on you for being so sinful as to even wander into that depraved area.