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 U.S. Schools are Failing LGBT Students Bullying & Violence Ignored by Teachers and Administrators Interviewees in 7 States Include 140 Youths and 130 Teachers |
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Compiled By GayToday
The 203-page report is based on in-depth interviews with 140 youth and 130 teachers, administrators, counselors, and parents in seven states: California, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Utah. The report, Hatred in the Hallways: Discrimination and Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students in U.S. Public Schools, found that teachers and administrators frequently ignore bullying and even violence against these students. School officials often refuse to accept reports of harassment or to hold the perpetrators accountable; in some instances, they have encouraged or have themselves participated in such abuse.
The harassment takes a serious toll on these students' emotional and physical health and on their academic studies. Some drop out of school. Others commit suicide. A growing number are demanding that school administrations ensure their safety and that they be allowed to organize gay-straight student groups. Every state requires youth to attend school. Yet only a handful of states have enacted legislation to protect students from harassment and violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This leaves the vast majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students vulnerable to abuse. "School systems and teachers are really failing these kids," said Widney Brown, advocacy director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch and a coauthor of the report. "And the consequence is that they are not getting an education." Human Rights Watch called for immediate action by school districts, the states, and the federal government to end these abuses:
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"School systems and teachers are really failing these kids. And the consequence is that they are not getting an education," says Widney Brown, Advocacy Director, Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.
