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Lambda Legal Sends Letter in Support of Harassed Gay and Lesbian Granite Hills High School Students
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Administrators have failed to live up to their responsibility and in fact, their duty under state law to protect gay and lesbian students.'
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(Apple Valley, California, February 8, 2008) — In response to ongoing harassment of and threats of violence against gay and lesbian students at Granite Hills High School, Lambda Legal has sent an advocacy letter to the Apple Valley School District.
"Administrators have failed to live up to their responsibility — and in fact, their duty under state law — to protect gay and lesbian students," said Brian Chase, Lambda Legal Senior Staff Attorney. "Students at Granite Hills — both gay and lesbian, and even straight students who try to speak up for them — have been exposed to an ongoing atmosphere of intimidation. The school's current approach is not working and the students understandably do not feel safe."
The atmosphere at the high school grew especially hostile surrounding the annual Day of Silence, commemorated by the school's Gay-Straight Alliance in honor of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender bullying victims. The school did little to punish students selling and wearing t-shirts reading F.A.G., and nothing to investigate threats of violence directed at gay students and their friends, in spite of student complaints. At least one student opted to graduate early to escape daily verbal harassment.
The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 requires educators to "combat racism, sexism and other forms of bias" and to "undertake educational activities to counter discriminatory incidents on school grounds and, within constitutional bounds, to minimize and eliminate a hostile environment on school grounds." Settlements in previous similar cases have exceeded one million dollars.
Recent studies have shown that violence against students perceived to be gay or lesbian is escalating. According to one survey funded by the Centers for Disease Control, one in 13 students had been attacked because he or she was perceived to be gay. Yet, four out of five of those students was were actually straight. Students who face bullying are more likely to drop out, suffer from depression, or attempt suicide.
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Contact: Jason Howe, Office: 213-382-7600 ext. 247; Email: jhowe@lambdalegal.org
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