Citizens urge Anoka-Hennepin schools to further discipline teachers for gay slur

[Shana A]

Citizens urge Anoka-Hennepin schools to further discipline teachers for gay slurs
30 petition school board at meeting attended by teachers' victim
By Nancy Ngo
08/24/2009 11:35:00 PM CDT

http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_13196489?nclick_check=1

The incident came to light after Merritt's mother filed complaints with the Human Rights Department. According to the department, law enforcement teacher Filson and social studies teacher Cleveland made several remarks when Merritt was an 11th-grader during the 2007-08 school year implying Merritt was gay.

Incidents included Filson allegedly singling Merritt out in front of a group of students and suggesting he enjoyed wearing women's clothes. In another alleged incident, Cleveland accused the student of cross-dressing and being attracted to older men.

[Flan]

Why didn't harassing Anoka-Hennepin teachers get fired?
Anoka-Hennepin district apologized but said previous cases indicate teachers must first face "corrective action."

By EMILY JOHNS, Star Tribune
Last update: August 18, 2009 - 8:25 PM

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/53591317.html

Facing intense criticism for not firing two teachers who mocked a student they thought was gay, Anoka-Hennepin school district officials expressed regret Tuesday over how the student was treated and said they issued the strongest discipline they thought they could under the law.

"We deeply regret what this student and his classmates experienced," the district said in a letter to the community. "It should not have happened. We will do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again."

Anoka-Hennepin recently paid a $25,000 settlement to former student Alex Merritt and his family after the Minnesota Department of Human Rights found probable cause that the teachers harassed Merritt, who is straight, because they thought he was gay. The district denies it violated the state's Human Rights Act.

as usual, nothing happened besides bribing the harassment victim from sueing them (and for the record, I had the misfortune of being schooled in Anoka-Hennepin District 11 hell holes, and the environment was as bad as it sounded in the article)