Victim of homophobic bullying wins case against New York school
A gay teenager in upstate New York who had claimed he was relentlessly bullied by classmates while school administrators stood by, settled his lawsuit Monday against the school district, reports The Washington Post.
Jacob sued the Mohawk Central School District in federal court last summer with help from the New York Civil Liberties Union. He said school officials did virtually nothing to stop bullies who picked on him because he acted differently from other boys.
Yesterday, Jacob settled his lawsuit, with the help from the New York Civil Liberties Union, under which the district agreed to pay compensation of $50,000 to his family as well as reimburse the full costs for his counseling.
Jacob has since moved to a neighboring district, where he said he is much happier. Jacob’s father, Robert Sullivan, who has a different last name, said the money “is for Jacob’s future” and hopes that the settlement inspires other districts to change.
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