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Hello, all.<br>
<br>
The below talks about an incident in a school district that has an
enormous office with 5 or 6 staff and one liaison in every school
focused on multicultural education. Problem is, even people working for
their multicultural ed office are not allowed to address or even
mention anything related to sexual orientation, homophobia,
heterosexism, or even the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender people.<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
<br>
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<td> <font face="arial,helvetica" size="2"> This Article from <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.startribune.com">StarTribune.com</a>
has been sent to you by Paul Gorski.<br>
<b>*Please note, the sender's identity has not been verified.</b><br>
<br>
The full Article, with any associated images and links can be viewed <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.startribune.com/local/north/53083997.html"
target="_new">here</a>.<br>
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<td> <font face="arial,helvetica" size="2"><b>Student faced gay
slurs by teachers, state says</b><br>
PAUL LEVY and JANE FRIEDMANN, Star Tribune<br>
<br>
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<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">The Anoka-Hennepin
School District has agreed to pay a $25,000 settlement to the family of
a high school junior after two teachers harassed the boy and subjected
him to classroom jokes, comments and innuendos concerning his perceived
sexual orientation</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">The boy's "fence swings
both ways," teacher Diane Cleveland commented during a class in the
2007-2008 school year, according to an investigation by the Minnesota
Department of Human Rights.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">When the boy wrote a
report on Ben Franklin, Cleveland allegedly said before the entire
class that the boy had a "thing for older men." Another teacher, Walter
Filson, said in front of other students that the boy "enjoys wearing
women's clothes." When the boy decided to report on Abraham Lincoln,
Filson allegedly said, "Since you like your men older ..." the Human
Rights report said.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">The school district,
which has denied it violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, agreed
last month to pay the boy's family $25,000.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Filson said Wednesday,
"I have no comment at this time." Calls to Cleveland's home were not
immediately returned.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Cleveland and Filson
have received "outstanding performance" awards from the district in
recent years.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Charges of sexual
orientation discrimination within school districts, such as this one
brought against Minnesota's largest school district by the boy's
mother, are extremely rare. Of the 850 to 1,300 charges filed each year
between 2003 and 2008 with the Department of Human Rights, only four
were based on sexual orientation in the area of education, said Jeff
Holman, a spokesperson for the department.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">"This should not have
happened to this student or to any student," said Ginny Karbowski,
director of the school district's Secondary Technical Education Program
(STEP), where the boy was enrolled until he transferred to a school 25
miles away to escape harassment. "I was shocked and saddened when I
heard these allegations," she said.</font></p>
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<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">The district reacted in
January 2008 to the allegations by briefly reassigning Cleveland, 39, a
social studies teacher, and placing her on two-day unpaid suspension.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Her reassignment
included working on a "social studies curriculum development and
reflecting on equality and diversity in the classroom," according to
the Department of Human Rights. However, the department said, Cleveland
completed only one day of the assignment, calling in sick the remainder
of the week. When a new semester started on Jan. 22, 2008, she was back
in her classroom, according to the department's report.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">It is not known what, if
any, disciplinary was taken regarding Filson, 56, a law enforcement
teacher.</font></p>
<p class="subhead"><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Report
cites other examples</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">"Would you like to have
[another allegedly gay student] go with you so he can sit in the stall
next to you and stomp his foot?" Cleveland asked the boy when he asked
to go to the restroom, according to the report. She also allegedly said
that the boy's "boat floats in a different direction than the rest of
the guys in the class."</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">When a student in
Filson's class talked about a deer that had been molested, the student
said, according to the Human Rights report, "Hey, Mr. Filson, doesn't
that sound like something [the student perceived to be gay] would do?"
Filson allegedly agreed and laughed.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Cleveland and Filson
remain teachers in the district, Anoka-Hennepin Superintendent Dennis
Carlson said. Carlson, who was not superintendent during the time of
the allegations, called it "an isolated incident" and said the teachers
should be judged by their entire work history.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">"I'm extremely
disappointed from any aspect you can think of," Carlson said. "These
are places of learning, not places where we tolerate harassment,
certainly not from our paid staff."</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">He said he is
comfortable with disciplinary action taken. A district sexual
orientation curriculum for staff and students began in February,
Karbowski said. Anti-bullying policies have long been a focus in the
district, said district spokesperson Mary Olson.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">"When students come to
our office and report any allegations, or even gossip, we deal with it
immediately," Karbowski said.</font></p>
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<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Calls to the boy's
family were not immediately returned. The Star Tribune is not naming
the family to protect the boy's identity.</font></p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:plevy@startribune.com">plevy@startribune.com</a> •
612-673-4419 <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:jfriedmann@startribune.com">jfriedmann@startribune.com</a>
• 612-673-7852</font></p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Paul C. Gorski
Founder, EdChange - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.EdChange.org">http://www.EdChange.org</a>
Board of Directors, International Assoc. for Intercultural Education - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.iaie.org">http://www.iaie.org</a>
Multicultural Pavilion - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.edchange.org/multicultural">http://www.edchange.org/multicultural</a>
Social Justice News - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.socialjusticenews.net">http://www.socialjusticenews.net</a>
SoJust Human Rights History Project - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.sojust.net">http://www.sojust.net</a>
International Assn. for Intercultural Education - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.iaie.org">http://www.iaie.org</a>
Social Justice Store - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.cafepress.com/edchange">http://www.cafepress.com/edchange</a>
Multicultural Poster Store - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.edchange.org/posters">http://www.edchange.org/posters</a>
Feminist-Tees - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.cafepress.com/feminist_tees">http://www.cafepress.com/feminist_tees</a>
EcoJustice Shop - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.cafepress.com/ecojustice">http://www.cafepress.com/ecojustice</a>
</pre>
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