Montgomery Junior High School Student Says Teacher Bullied, Ridiculed Him

An openly gay 13-year-old Montgomery student has spoken out after he says his teacher ridiculed him in class, telling him to ?quit acting like a girl and start acting like a boy.? Rather than trying to stop bullying, he says his teacher encouraged it, and another student in the class confirmed this statement, saying that the teacher made fun of him every day. The boy and his mother wrote a letter of complaint to his school district, but received no apology. The district?s response said only that the teacher?s comment had been misrepresented and taken out of context.Maureen Costello, director of Teaching Tolerance with the Southern Poverty Law Center, points out that bullies often deny their actions by saying they were misunderstood or joking, but that some things should not be taken lightly.The teacher denied the allegation, but research shows that authority figures often aid in bullying. A Yale University study was recently released that shows that LGBT teenagers get harsher punishments than their straight peers who committed the same behavior. Montgomery public schools do not receive specific referrals or complaints regarding bullying. The boy?s attorney has said he will take further action if the bullying continues.Related Media Coverage:Montgomery Advertiser ? January 27, 2011?Do Teachers Sometimes Help Target Gay Students?http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20110127/NEWS/101270335/Do-teachers-sometimes-help-target-gay-students-

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