Though it is not accepting responsibility for any wrongdoing, an Ohio school agreed to a settlement on Thursday with a gay student whose vicious beating at a hands of a classmate was captured on a cell-phone camera and posted on Facebook.
The Union-Scioto school board has agreed to pay $20,000 in damages to Zach King, who was a 15-year-old freshman at Unioto High School in Chillicothe when he was gay-bashed last fall. The district will also pay up to $10,000 for medical and counseling fees and $5,000 in legal expenses, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
King and his mother claimed that Unioto officials fostered an atmosphere that allowed LGBT students to be bullied. Administrators failed to take action when the family complained about harassment by other students, and at one point even asked King, “What can we do to change you?”
King’s attacker, Levi Sever, was initially only suspended from school for three days. But after a hue and cry he was eventually charged with misdemeanor assault.
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“Every child deserves a safe learning environment, free from violence and cruelty. The school had a responsibility to protect Zach, but looked the other way for over a year while he was verbally and physically bullied,” said ACLU of Ohio legal director James Hardiman. “Schools must proactively address bullying by engaging with students and teachers on the effects of harmful words and actions, or else risk even greater incidents of violence.”
Hardiman says the district has made a commitment to avoiding more incidents like this by training staff on how to address anti-LGBT harassment and developing a policy specifically focusing on homophobic behavior
Photo: ACLU of Ohio
Mike
After a hue and cry!?! How is it possible that people are paid to write for a website when they can’t proofread for even the most blatant errors?
Jakey
@Mike: What error? Have you never seen that phrase before or something?
Nick
@Mike: I thought the phrase was odd, but according to Wikipedia: “In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime.”
Is this not correct usage in this context?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hue_and_cry
mrlbumiller
@Mike: just what are you complaining about?
from Wikipedia: In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime.
B
No. 3 · Nick wrote, “@Mike: I thought the phrase was odd, but according to Wikipedia: “In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime.”
Is this not correct usage in this context?”
It’s not the correct usage given that definition, but the phrase “hue and cry” is also used in a more figurative sense where the usage is correct. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hue+and+cry has an additional definition: “A public clamor, as of protest or demand: [example of usage] raised a great hue and cry about political corruption.”
BILLY NAME
considering the importance of this case for the protection of our young friends i find it hard to believe that everyone so far is more concerned about “hue and cry”. congratulations to zach king for winning his case and doing in the school administration and the bully!
B
Re No 6: Since the school is out $35,000 plus the cost of staff training and the assailant is being prosecuted for a misdemeanor assault, exactly what comment do you think would be necessary?