|
May 24, 2011 Dear Friend, Today, we're demanding that officials in a Minnesota school district take strong action to stop the relentless, often violent, bullying of LGBT students—or face a lawsuit to enforce the students' constitutional rights. At least four LGBT students have died by suicide in the Anoka-Hennepin district over the past two school years. But the district has failed to protect others from harassment. Not only that, officials there have instituted a policy prohibiting teachers from even discussing the issue—further stigmatizing and isolating LGBT students. One of our clients, a girl who was verbally and physically harassed by students who perceived her as a lesbian, dropped out of school and attempted suicide. Another endured years of abuse before finally dropping out. He once was violently assaulted and called "faggot" while a teacher stood idly by. When he sought help from a vice principal, he was blamed for "provoking" the attack. Another, who complained about bullying for two years, was advised to leave school. This type of abuse is occurring across the country. And it must stop now. As you may know, we've launched a major campaign to shine a light on the relentless bullying and violence faced by LGBT students in our schools. As part of that, we've distributed more than 50,000 free copies of our classroom documentary Bullied to educators across the country. An estimated 7 million schoolchildren have seen the anti-bullying film. But awareness alone is not always enough. Working with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, we're prepared to file suit to protect the constitutional rights of students at Anoka-Hennepin—and elsewhere. With your help, we can assure that every child has a safe learning environment—free from violence and harassment. I'll be sure to keep you posted on this important case.
 Make a contribution to support our work. |
