Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

Orange County sexual harassment attorneys have been closely following a case involving a Minnesota school district accused of overlooking sex-based harassment among students.

While those who have alleged discrimination or sexual harassment in Orange County ultimately have the protection of the California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, often those guidelines are viewed as solely related to workplace activities and housing considerations. It provides that a person can not be harassed or discriminated against on the basis of gender, pregnancy, race or sexual orientation.

This case in Minnesota basically takes aim at bullies in schools who target gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students - creating what essentially amounts to a hostile learning environment for some children.

Here's what The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

The Anoka-Hennepin school district, located in a suburban Minnesota town, has come under fire following a spate of suicides by a number of gay teens - in fact, nine in all.

Since 2009, the school district had a policy called "the neutrality policy" that required teachers engaged in classroom discussions about gay issues to remain neutral. Opponents had said this fostered an anti-gay sentiment within the district. Those who supported the measure said it prevented gay activists from "recruiting" students into what they considered a risky and dangerous lifestyle choice.

In late 2010, the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Department of Education stepped in and began investigating complaints of anti-gay bullying in both the high schools and middle schools.

A federal lawsuit was ultimately filed against the district on behalf of six student plaintiffs, alleging the district had not done enough to protect gay students - or those who had been perceived as gay - from harassment and bullying. They suffered from what they said was a hostile, anti-gay environment.

Last month, the district's board voted to rescind its neutrality policy (with one board member dissenting). One parent even went so far as to say that not only was that move a disappointment, but that this would open the floodgates to homosexual propaganda within the schools.

Now, the board has voted to accept a settlement that will not only pay $270,000 among those six students, as well as take more proactive measures to protect students. Those include hiring experts in sex-based harassment to look over the district's policies and procedures and bringing on mental health experts who will work with bullying victims. Additionally, both the Justice Department and the Department of Education will be monitoring the district for the next five years to ensure it is following through with all the terms of the settlement.

The lone dissenting board member resigned in protest.

U.S. Attorneys General in Minnesota hailed the settlement as the most detailed agreement that the Justice Department has reached with a school district on the issue. They added that harassment and bullying in schools is something that no young person should have to endure - particularly on the basis of his or her sexuality.