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If you can't fight the bullies, sue 'em! (And the school district)


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Dynasty Young was tired of being bullied and tired of the school administration's response to his and his mom's complaints to, "Stop being so flamboyant and the bullying will stop."

So, they sued. Resulting in a cash settlement and some legislation being changed.

https://nclrights.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/agreement-reached-in-lawsuit-against-indianapolis-public-schools-for-failing-to-protect-gay-student/

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I am proud that this youth, a high school senior supported in full by his mother, had the commitment and the ability to seek a solution. What I fear for is the bullied 13 or 14 year-old who is unsupported by his parents and who would rarely if ever realize that he has a legal recourse, and most likely would not have the means to pursue it.

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That is fantastic! Future students who attend Indianapolis Public Schools will have a strong set of anti-bullying regulations and a mandate for school administrations to apply those regulations. And Dynasty will have much of his college education paid for.

Colin :icon_geek:

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A win for the good guys!

I know something of what Dynasty suffered. My school days were beset with daily bullying from both my fellow students and the teachers. The reason? My red hair, pale skin, and slight build. My mother was not one to suffer bullies, but in those days (55 years ago) the system was stacked against us. Nevertheless, she did what she could and I stood up for myself as best I could. The school officials reluctantly were obliged by the Department of Education, to which my mother had made complaints, to grant me my School Certificate. Suing was not an option in those days. I wrote a fictional story inspired by my experiences, called The Best Memories of Their Lives

At highschool, puberty brought many rewards, including many of those same students wanting to find out if a red headed person's anatomy worked the same as their own. The real reward however, was that I found three other students who, though straight, became my friends until I graduated, when we all went our own ways. I have the fondest memories of them.

I'm told things are different now, with teachers no longer allowed to use physical punishment, but I still hear of situations that tells me that beneath the surface of official stands against bullying, attitudes of intimidation and disrespect still survive.

I must admit however, that the wins the LGBTQ community has won over the years are very encouraging, despite those nations that have yet to catch up with human rights equality.

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