by Bethany Woolman | May 3, 2013 | LGBT youth, transgender, gender identity discrimination, bullying, Youth, Shannon Minter
(San Francisco, CA, May 3, 2013)—Today, the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other child welfare organizations filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief with the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in support of a transgender girl who experienced discrimination and harassment at her Orono school. The student, known by the pseudonym Susan Doe, and her parents have filed a lawsuit against the Orono school district alleging violations of a statewide law...
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by Bethany Woolman | Apr 18, 2013 | bullying, Student Non-Discrimination Act, SNDA, Maya Rupert, Jared Polis, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Statement by NCLR Policy Director Maya Rupert (Washington, D.C., April 18, 2013)—Today, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) announced the bi-partisan reintroduction of the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA). Despite the frequency with which youth are targeted for harassment based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, there are currently no federal comprehensive anti-bullying protections. This legislation would protect students...
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by Guest Columnist | Sep 21, 2012 | Uncategorized | bullying, harassment, Youth, Chelisa Grimes, Dynasty Young
Last month, NCLR filed a federal lawsuit challenging Indianapolis Public Schools’ discriminatory treatment and failure to protect openly gay former student, Dynasty Young, who faced severe and relentless harassment at school throughout the 2011-2012 school year. By Chelisa Grimes No parent ever wants to hear that their child is being tormented at school, with classmates not only hurling derogatory words, but spitting on their child as they walk down the halls and throwing glass bottles. So...
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by Bethany Woolman | Aug 31, 2012 | bullying, harassment, school, gay youth, LGBT youth
(Indianapolis, IN, August 31, 2012)—Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the law firms of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Waples & Hanger filed a federal lawsuit challenging Indianapolis Public Schools’ (IPS) discriminatory treatment and failure to protect an openly gay former student who faced severe and relentless harassment at Arsenal Technical High School (Tech) throughout the 2011-2012 school year. Rather than address the constant harassment and abuse suffered by...
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by Bethany Woolman | Aug 7, 2012 | gay youth, LGBT youth, school, bullying, harassment
(Indianapolis, IN, August 7, 2012)—On Monday, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) ended the expulsion of Dynasty Young, a former Arsenal Technical High School student who was expelled after school leaders failed to protect him from relentless anti-gay bullying, but refused to permit him to return to the school or any traditional high school in the district. Instead, in a letter signed by Chief of Staff Dexter Suggs, the district assigned Young to the New Horizons Alternative School, which...
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by Erik Olvera | Mar 5, 2012 | gay youth, LGBT youth, school, bullying, harassment
Student Plaintiffs to Hold Press Conference Tuesday (Coon Rapids, Minn. March 5, 2012)—Tonight, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and the law firms of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, and Culberth & Lienemann LLP announced an agreement on behalf of six students who filed two federal gender and sexual-orientation harassment lawsuits against Anoka-Hennepin School District. The student plaintiffs, the federal government, and the district have...
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by Bethany Woolman | Oct 11, 2011 | LGBT students, LGBT youth, bullying
Statement by NCLR Federal Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq. (San Francisco, CA, October 11, 2011)—On October 9, 2011, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed Seth’s Law (AB 9), providing California schools with tools to address the pervasive problem of school bullying and to create environments where all students can be safe. Seth’s Law—named after 13-year-old Seth Walsh, who was the target of anti-gay bullying and died by suicide—was authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) and...
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by Bethany Woolman | Sep 2, 2011 | LGBT students, LGBT youth, bullying
(Sacramento, CA, September 2, 2011)—Yesterday, the California State Senate approved Seth’s Law (AB 9) in a 24-14 vote. Seth’s Law is designed to address the pervasive problem of school bullying by providing California schools with tools to create a safe school environment for all students. The bill is authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) and co-sponsored by a coalition of organizations advancing LGBTQ equality, including Equality California, the ACLU of California, National...
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by Bethany Woolman | Aug 9, 2011 | LGBT students, LGBT youth, bullying
Discriminatory Gag Policy Perpetuates Hostile Anti-LGBTQ Environment on School Campuses (Minneapolis, August 9, 2011)—Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Minneapolis on behalf of a sixth student, an out lesbian, who experienced severe harassment while attending school in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, where a discriminatory gag policy prevents staff from addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues, including...
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by Bethany Woolman | Jul 21, 2011 | bullying, LGBT students, LGBT youth
(Minneapolis, MN, July 21, 2011)—The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and Faegre & Benson, LLP, filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the pervasive anti-gay harassment in schools within the Anoka-Hennepin School District as well as the district’s “gag policy” that prevents teachers from discussing issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. NCLR, SPLC, and Faegre & Benson filed the suit on...
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