Oregon school settles LGBTQ discrimination case

NORTH BEND, Ore. (KMTR/NBC News) – Oregon’s North Bend School District and the American Civil Liberties Union have announced an agreement in the wake of allegations of harassment targeting gay and lesbian students at North Bend High School.

Liv Funk and Hailey Smith say they were harassed by fellow students as well as school administrators.

“I think there are two instances that were the scariest,” Funk said Tuesday. “The principal’s son accelerated very quickly towards Hailey and I and yelled homophobic slurs at us. And then I actually got assaulted and my hand was damaged and I needed medical attention.”

“That was definitely my scariest moment was when the principal’s son – we thought he was going to hit us,” Smith said.

School officials didn’t take action to stop the harassment, the students alleged.

Another student, who identifies as bisexual, was forced to read the Bible at school as punishment, according to the ACLU of Oregon.

Under the agreement, North Bend principal Bill Lucero has been reassigned. The school will request a replacement for the school resource officer, there will be new training for teachers and students, and the district will donate money to a local gay and lesbian advocacy group.

Read more: http://bit.ly/2KNnTGM

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