Anoka-Hennepin School District Fights Back Against Anti-Gay Bullying Claims Made In Rolling Stone Article

A Minnesota school district is fighting back in the wake of a controversial Rolling Stone article which drew attention to its treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in the wake of a rash of teen suicides in the region.

As provided by Towleroad, the statement from the Anoka-Hennepin school district reads in part:

The article in Rolling Stone presents a grossly distorted portrayal of the Anoka-Hennepin School District, its schools and its communities.

Three or four highly critical individuals do not represent the many quality administrators and 2,700 highly professional teachers who care deeply about our students and work each day not only to educate them, but also to keep them safe.

We take action when we get reports of bullying or students using harassing language and there are consequences, up to and including expulsion.

Sabrina Rubin Erdely's article, "One Town's War on Gay Teens," stated that local evangelicals in the area (which happens to be the home district of GOP congresswoman Michele Bachmann) had contributed to "an extreme anti-gay climate." Erdely drew attention to the district's so-called "neutrality" policy, which reportedly states that, "Anoka-Hennepin staff, in the course of their professional duties, shall remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation including but not limited to student-led discussions."

"At Anoka Middle School for the Arts, after Kyle Rooker was urinated upon from above in a boys' bathroom stall, an associate principal told him, 'It was probably water,'" she writes. "Jackson Middle School seventh-grader Dylon Frei was passed notes saying, 'Get out of this town, fag'; when a teacher intercepted one such note, she simply threw it away."

A local news report cities Anoka-Hennepin officials who said that two of the students cited in the story do not attend schools in the district, where there have reportedly been seven suicides in less than two years.

The district is currently in the midst of a lawsuit filed on behalf of five students who allege they faced severe anti-LGBT bullying and harassment at schools, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) noted last year. "We are disappointed that the district fails to see the serious harm this policy is causing its students," Sam Wolfe, the SPLC's lead attorney in the case, said at the time.

Take a look at some recent anti-LGBT bullying cases and other related news below:

Comments

[Brier Rose]

10:53 AM on 02/17/2012

The problem is that a school would allow the bullying of any child. No group should be singled-out as being greater victims of bullying, especially when the reason for their being different is determined by their own, personal choice.

[mbjorgum]

10:27 PM on 02/19/2012

Are you saying that being homosexuality is a personal choice? Go read a book. Please.

[Koreboomer]

06:20 PM on 02/13/2012

The rightist haters lead by the likes of Bachman have infiltrated a historically progressive state like Minnesota, or at least part of that state...kind of like Peter King on Long Island. High schools are notorious for bullying, regardless of sexual orientation. But I can't imagine the sort of thing that happens today to openly-gay kids in school. They're always going to get snide comments from certain elements, but the viciousness that leads to a rash of gay suicides in ONE district should have resulted in the wholesale firing of the adminstrators who 'saw no evil.'

[snewell]

06:38 PM on 02/11/2012

Hate and sexual oppression creates frustrated violent people. The church knows this and has been using hate and violence to manipulate and control people for far too long. Violent people make good bullies, I mean "warriors" for God.

[Matt Salsano]

12:19 PM on 02/11/2012

Rolling Stone magazine- People Rolling Stoned

[javagirl023]

10:37 AM on 02/11/2012

And Michelle Bachmann still refuses to comment, uncaring witch.

[GeorgeSM]

11:40 AM on 02/10/2012

It's clear that this school district still doesn't get it.

[SirReal1]

11:35 AM on 02/10/2012

Just to make another point about "homosexuality" in all its permutations, and to refute the "choice" argument.

For most of the people arguing that "homosexuality" is a deviant behavior, the determination of "gender" is fully based on the anatomical determinant of one specific area of the body. Basically it is based upon the simplest difference they can "see". Appendage = male / No appendage = female.

WE KNOW that this is not the ONLY DIFFERENCE between the sexes, yet this is the SUM TOTAL of how they make their determination.

Pure ignorance.

[SirReal1]

11:40 AM on 02/10/2012

WE KNOW that (through brain studies) the most significant difference between the sexes IS THE BRAIN. There are anatomical and physiological differences, that can be seen (fMRI's and other imaging studies) in the brains of males and females, that are FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT in determining "sex" than the presence (or lack thereof) of gonads and a penis. Many biologist and anatomist are engaging in a discussion on whether it is "appropriate" (e.g. accurate) to call a penis a "primary sex organ" any longer. The argument is definitely tipping toward "no".

So, where does that leave us? Why, and how, can a person have a "female" brain, and a "male" body? What does that imply for individuals who are "bi"?

The difficulty comes from the fact that our bodies (all of us) develop in very specific stages, AND that development CAN and IS altered by "outside" (environmental) factors. Put simply, the development of the traditional "primary" sex organs (genitals) occurs earlier in development than the development of the brain. In what we have long considered "normal" development, the two organs develop in complementary ways (genitalia predicts brain development) but what we NOW KNOW is that, for multiple reasons (chemicals, toxins, stress hormones, Mothers own biology, etc.) the hormonal cascade that causes the brain to differentiate between the recognizable gender norms can be disrupted, resulting in a basic "incompatibility" between the bodies sexual characteristics and the brains.

This likely IS NOT a "new" phenomena!

[Kyler Phoenix]

07:46 PM on 02/14/2012

love the info.can you point me to any articles or books on the subject?thanks.

[SirReal1]

11:40 AM on 02/10/2012

More likely, this has ALWAYS been the case, and we have only now been able to SHOW IT.

From this discovery, we can also demonstrate that the changes in the individuals overall physiology go far beyond the simple anatomical changes in the brain. The brain IS THE ENGINE that drives subsequent variation in the production and release of Hormones throughout the lifetime of the individual. When a "boy" with a "girls brain" reaches puberty, the hormonal cascade that floods the body is completely different than the production that results from a "male" brain. Voices may not drop as low, muscles might not develop in the "normal" way, secondary sex organs may develop that are not what would be expected, and the brain develops differently (in anatomical terms and functional terms).

So, the question for those who believe that this issue is a matter of "choice" becomes; BASED ON WHAT?

How is a person with a "brain" that is decidedly "female" making a "choice" to not live as a "male" simply based upon the "appendage" that adorns his body?

What "choice" would be more appropriate? Following the "sex" that your mind tells you you are, or following what your "appendage" dictates?

Don't even get me started on the "Doctor determined sex" scandal of the last 50 years.

[Godweiser]

09:04 AM on 02/10/2012

This is Alabama, but for gay kids. I'm shocked we aren't sending in the Freedom Riders. These kids need the help. They need to know that the rest of the world is not like this horrid place.

[stevieani]

09:02 AM on 02/10/2012

Forget these so called 'religions', go back to pagan times ~ we never judged anybody! :)

[usorthem3]

07:50 AM on 02/10/2012

Christians want gay people not to exist at all. They would beat someone with stones and cry "RELIGIOUS FREEDOM" when questioned. Meanwhile kids are being told they are "wrong, damaged, broken, born of Satan" with Christian love as the motivation. Fear of gay people by the church that says that GOD is the only way people must live & now you have kids committing suicide. It's no wonder this is M Bachman territory since no one in MN spreads the animus fear that all gay people are "EVIL' the way she does. If there were no story to be written, none would have been, pretty simple.

[esosa233]

01:26 PM on 02/12/2012

No they want gay people to exist, so they can have someone they can always feel that they're better than.

[Old Grady]

01:16 PM on 02/15/2012

"Christians want gay people not to exist at all."
(Don't tell that to the gay Christians...)

[WykydRed]

06:10 PM on 02/09/2012

Amazing how quick they can backpedal when they're caught. It STILL goes on in every school! Every kind of bullying, but once again, "freedom to practice OUR religion" is the green light to everyone that it's okay to do these things, and the schools think so too! It never fails that the Principal attacks the moms and kids who are BEING bullied and wants them to "change schools". My daughter's sent us to "check out another school"....with armed guards, completely fenced in exterior, and containing nothing but children coming out of Juvie for some pretty serious stuff. Because she, according to other students, was a "demon" and didn't deserve any right to be left alone. She stayed where she was, brave girl that she is...... and started a student support group for gay teens! The school WAS PISSED! Her teachers loved her! hehehehehe. Especially her science teacher she still keeps in touch with.

[trailerguy]

04:26 PM on 02/09/2012

Bullying is wrong across the board, for whatever reason. Zero tolence should be enforced

[WykydRed]

06:15 PM on 02/09/2012

You can't convince schools of that what with the football team being soooooo important and all..... and the cheerleaders.....and the "rich kids" .... funny how when you want the police involved (whose kids are on the same football team, or basketball team), the matter of "ruining their young lives" always come up. Gosh. They might not get their scholarships! Or they'll be taken away! And suddenly YOUR home is being "investigated" as "unfit".....

[Melissa Thompson]

11:12 AM on 02/09/2012

Just to clarify, the superintendent's anger was because the reporter "featured artwork" of two students who were not students, they were NOT included in the article or reported as students of the district.That's an important distinction because that was the focus on his contention.

I also find it telling that in his angry voicemail (in which he blames teachers and then pits them against these students who were brave enough to tell the truth.) and implies there is no problem yet he closes with "We will get through this and our students will be "SAFER?" for it." Hmmm that implies that they are currently "NOT" safe, which is exactly what they have been saying all along and telling anyone who will listen. It is why our district is under a federal investigation and several civil rights lawsuits. Does he think people won't see how outrageous that seems. If everything was fine would we really be in this boat? Of course not.

[Godweiser]

09:57 AM on 02/10/2012

I hope the feds uncover everything they can. If one of the people encouraging this is filing fraudulent tax returns, I want them in prison. I think an example needs to be made; if a local government and school district get investigated for civil rights violations and encouraging discrimination of students, they should be investigated for everyone else at the same time.

That's how the FBI did it in Alabama and Mississippi and that sort of thing is why Al Capone went to jail. Heck, it's the reason why the Aryan Nations can't announce a leader without the guy going to prison. (The current one is in for faking veteran status for benefits -- what a loser.) That's how they need to do it here. Just put a microscope to these people. Stuff is bound to turn up.

[kae R]

11:05 AM on 02/09/2012

They really do see gay/lesbian people as preditors and are afraid they are going to try to convert everyone! They are acting out of fear.

[Doug Whitinger]

12:36 PM on 02/09/2012

Religions are notorious for trying to convert everyone. Sick.

[kae R]

03:56 PM on 02/09/2012

No, what I meant was the religious fanatics think the gay/ lesbian students will try to convert their kids to be gay/lesbian.

[Keyser77]

09:31 AM on 02/09/2012

I love it when they have their prejudices exposed and are shocked that it is themselves that society abhors and they realize that even though they are a majority in hicksville Minnesota, they are becoming a minority in America.

[Melissa Thompson]

11:22 AM on 02/09/2012

Just to clarify this really is NOT representative of most Minnesotans. Most are kind, accepting and favor equality, we just happen to live in a bit of a "time warp" here in Anoka-Hennepin. Which is actually only like 13 miles from Minneapolis, which was voted the "Gayest city on the nation." So while we do have some "coo-coo's" and some "Christian bullies" like Michelle Bacman and the Minnesota Family Council.... we're not all like that.

[Chester Erickson]

10:36 PM on 02/09/2012

I'll second that. I'm west of you a bit, but most of the people I've met from out that way are pretty decent.

On a side note, I don't know if you've noticed but Michele's hateful friends at You Can Run But You Cannot Hide have taken the "flame" car wraps off all of their vehicles. The last time I was up in Annandale I noticed that all the vehicles are plain black now.

[Godweiser]

09:12 AM on 02/10/2012

Every state has their little communities that do that. I can think of one place in Texas where they have like a higher number of militia types than usual, Arizona has them in Maricopa County, Idaho had the AN compound (until Morris Dees took it away in court and it got turned into a firefighting exercise) and so forth. I don't blame an entire state, just the local government, which needs to be taken to task for encouraging kids to off themselves. It's time to send the FBI in and comb every possible violation they can find, investigate everything -- things will turn up. Al Capone was jailed for taxes, and several Aryan Nations leaders were imprisoned on largely the same premises. This effort needs to happen to the Anoka-Hennepin government and anyone else associated with oppressing these kids.