Oxnard school's handling of gay student's behavior comes under scrutiny

[Shana A]

Oxnard school's handling of gay student's behavior comes under scrutiny
Teachers testify at Brandon McInerney's trial that administrators ignored warnings that fellow student Larry King's feminized attire and taunting behavior were causing problems. McInerney is accused of killing King in a classroom.

By Catherine Saillant, Los Angeles Times
August 11, 2011

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0811-gay-student-20110811,0,923167.story

The trial testimony, and defense arguments that school officials mishandled the situation, highlight the struggle that many schools face: how to protect the civil rights of gay and transgender children while addressing the tensions that the issue can cause on campuses.

Assistant Principal Joy Epstein has come under criticism for allegedly being more intent on protecting King's civil rights than in acknowledging that his dress and behavior were causing problems.

"It was reported, more than once, by more than one person,'' said English teacher Dawn Boldrin. "It was documented. There is paperwork on this. She kept saying that she didn't know and she did. She knew. She did.

[Epi]

I think the school district is negligent in failing to protect King.  What I don't understand is if he had learning disabilities, mental illnesses and was on probation for criminal offenses, why he was in a mainstream school?  King should have been in a program that would have helped him deal with these issues, not in a mainstream middle school.  If the district had no other option but to place him in a mainstream middle school classroom,  they should have assigned an aide to him.

McInerney should have been in therapy and why anyone would give a child a firearm, especially one that can from an abusive/broken home is beyond me.  His father should be held accountable along with E.O. Green School.

California schools have just as much crime as its prisons almost, it seems these "Zero Tolerance" rules have little effect.  Clearly sensitivity classes wouldn't be such a bad idea in schools.

[Vicky]

I seem to have a theme today, since what I am going to say here is close to what I just wrote in another forum, but this time specific to Schools.  Our California budget shenanigans over the last 8 years are killing people.  There are no funds for school districts to use for training teachers and administrators to deal with TG /GLB students and or TG or GLB colleagues. Salary money for inservice training of teachers was one of the first items to go in funding. 

Likewise, county counsels'/attorney's who give the legal advice to school districts do not have funds to spend on formulating legal guidelines for the schools to use in applying current law so that ALL students are protected.  Even if the schools were to have adequate potential funding, the training allocation for this will be hotly contested by the "good citizens" who think that protection of GLBT children is an inappropriate special expense of their money, how many deaths will it take?  We have already had too many.

I'm betting its not only here though. 

[tekla]

What I don't understand is if he had learning disabilities, mental illnesses and was on probation for criminal offenses, why he was in a mainstream school? 

Because people like him, his parents, and supporters of special needs children have repeatedly sued to stay 'mainstreamed' as they call it, and not be segregated, and separated out.

[Epi]

Likewise, county counsels'/attorney's who give the legal advice to school districts do not have funds to spend on formulating legal guidelines for the schools to use in applying current law so that ALL students are protected.  Even if the schools were to have adequate potential funding, the training allocation for this will be hotly contested by the "good citizens" who think that protection of GLBT children is an inappropriate special expense of their money, how many deaths will it take?  We have already had too many.

I'm betting its not only here though.

We can thank Prop 13 for a lack of funding.

What I don't understand is if he had learning disabilities, mental illnesses and was on probation for criminal offenses, why he was in a mainstream school? 

Because people like him, his parents, and supporters of special needs children have repeatedly sued to stay 'mainstreamed' as they call it, and not be segregated, and separated out.

King was a ward of the state, there was no one to contest him being placed into a mainstream classroom or not being placed.  CPS would have made the school, their guidance counselor and nurse aware of this students situation and required medications.  I'm left to only draw the conclusion the school actively ignored the information from the state or the state never gave it.

Socially being in a mainstream classroom would be ideal, but academically it is not.  King was held back in previous years and at 15 should have been a Sophomore in High School.  This kid was swept under a rug and should have been receiving much more attention and care from the school and district.

Outside of that, as a teacher, I would not have accepted King into my class as I would have been dealing this student a great injustice by not being able to provide the type of instruction and guidance needed, in addition to 30 other students.

As a parent, I would not have wanted a child with learning disabilities, mental illnesses and a criminal background in the same classroom as my child.  How is my child going to receive adequate instruction if that child isn't?!

Everyone loses in this situation.