澳彩开奖

Jonathan Bachman/AP Images

The 澳彩开奖 has reached a settlement with Mississippi鈥檚 Moss Point School District on behalf of Destin Holmes, a student who was subjected to pervasive anti-LGBT bullying and harassment by fellow students, faculty and even administrators.

As part of the settlement, the school district has agreed to adopt and implement new anti-bullying and discrimination policies and procedures, as well as equal educational opportunity policies to prohibit bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

The district is also reforming its procedures so that complaints of bullying and harassment brought by students, parents and guardians will quickly be brought to the attention of teachers and administrators. The new policies and procedures are to be included in the parent/student and employee handbooks and updated on the district鈥檚 website.

The financial terms of the settlement are confidential.聽

鈥淲e鈥檙e proud of Destin and her grandmother for having the courage to stand up for Destin鈥檚 rights and share their story,鈥� said 澳彩开奖 staff attorney Anjali Nair.

鈥淓ducators have an obligation to ensure students have the opportunity to learn in an environment free of bigotry and harassment. We applaud the district for taking these steps to protect students regardless of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or conformity to antiquated notions of gender stereotypes. We hope this settlement will provide a more inclusive environment at Moss Point schools and will serve as a model to help protect students from similar discrimination in other districts.鈥�

The 澳彩开奖 sued the district in December 2013.

鈥淚 had to go through years of bullying,鈥� Holmes said. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure other LGBT students would not have to go through what I went through because of who they are or how they dress. I hope the settlement will make it easier for LGBT students at Moss Point and send the message to other students across the country who may be experiencing similar bullying that equal treatment is a right.鈥�

Watch Holmes' account of the harassment: 聽

Holmes, now 18, was 14 when she started school in the district.聽

From the moment Holmes arrived for the eighth grade at Magnolia Junior High, other students taunted and mocked her, the suit alleged. They bombarded her with anti-gay slurs and insults 鈥� calling her 鈥渄yke,鈥� 鈥渋t鈥� and sometimes 鈥渇reak鈥� or 鈥渉e-she.鈥� Along with the insults, students threw things at her in class. Holmes, her father and grandmother repeatedly appealed to teachers and other school officials to help her.

One teacher refused to let her use the girls鈥� restroom, forcing her to use the boys鈥� room instead. Another wouldn鈥檛 let her participate in a math exercise where the class was divided by gender, because, according to the teacher, she was 鈥渁n in-between it.鈥� Destin sat in the middle of the classroom and cried while the other children laughed, according to the lawsuit.

A principal told Holmes鈥� mental health caseworker that he wouldn鈥檛 follow his recommendations, because 鈥渨hen you are in my school, you follow my lead since I allow you to be here.鈥� He also told her, according to the lawsuit: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want a dyke in this school.鈥�

Holmes left the junior high school in March 2012 and was homeschooled before it became a financial strain for her family. She returned to high school, where similar harassment continued. She is currently completing her GED through the school district.

As part of the new policies, the district鈥檚 equal educational opportunities policy will read: 鈥淓very pupil of the district will have equal educational opportunities regardless of race, color, creed, sex, handicap, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion or marital status. No student shall be excluded on such basis from participating in or having access to any course offerings, athletics, counseling, employment assistance, and extra-curricular activities.鈥�

Destin鈥檚 grandmother, Jennifer Holmes, said the new policies are a positive step. 鈥淜ids should not have to go to school and be afraid they are going to be the targets of harassment and discrimination,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o grandmother should have to worry about their grandchild鈥檚 well-being at school. I don鈥檛 want any child to endure what my granddaughter went through. The settlement is a victory for Destin and other Moss Point students. They are not alone.鈥�

The lawsuit alleged the district violated Holmes鈥� rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX of the Education Amendments Acts of 1972. According to the lawsuit, other district students also experienced anti-LGBT bullying. These incidents included a transgender student who was attacked and ridiculed. Students assaulted a gay male student because he was open about his orientation.