School to bullied lesbian teen: don't be so gay
A school in southern Sweden told a female student to "tone down" her homosexuality as a remedy to bullying from other students for being gay, prompting the girl to report the school for discrimination.
The victim's report, which has filed with the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO), explains how the teen had to quit her studies at the Munkgård high school after severely mistreatment from other students.
Teachers at the school were unhelpful when she raised the matter with them, telling the girl to "tone down" her sexuality as other students were "confused and scared" by it.
According to the girl's report, the incidents began when she was assaulted in 2010 by a fellow student who had hit her in the head, causing a minor head fracture.
“She threatened to shove pliers into my eyes and then she took hold of the pliers and delivered three hefty hits against my temples and the area close to my eyes,” the girl wrote in the report.
When she later consulted the school about the incident, teachers told her it was all her own fault.
According to the report, the school told her:
“You’re the one to blame. It was your own fault. You provoked her,” adding that she should have “just hit back.”
After online research, the girl discovered that the school must report any mistreatment that occurs during school hours, and confronted the school, only to be told that it was up to her to make a report.
The case is now being handled by the DO, but before any compensation decisions are made, the school will be given the chance to comment, according to DO case officer Sara Stenberg.
“We have made a request for the principal of the school to comment on the case. This is standard procedure. They have until July 6th to make a comment,” she told The Local.
Salomon Rogberg
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The victim's report, which has filed with the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO), explains how the teen had to quit her studies at the Munkgård high school after severely mistreatment from other students.
Teachers at the school were unhelpful when she raised the matter with them, telling the girl to "tone down" her sexuality as other students were "confused and scared" by it.
According to the girl's report, the incidents began when she was assaulted in 2010 by a fellow student who had hit her in the head, causing a minor head fracture.
“She threatened to shove pliers into my eyes and then she took hold of the pliers and delivered three hefty hits against my temples and the area close to my eyes,” the girl wrote in the report.
When she later consulted the school about the incident, teachers told her it was all her own fault.
According to the report, the school told her:
“You’re the one to blame. It was your own fault. You provoked her,” adding that she should have “just hit back.”
After online research, the girl discovered that the school must report any mistreatment that occurs during school hours, and confronted the school, only to be told that it was up to her to make a report.
The case is now being handled by the DO, but before any compensation decisions are made, the school will be given the chance to comment, according to DO case officer Sara Stenberg.
“We have made a request for the principal of the school to comment on the case. This is standard procedure. They have until July 6th to make a comment,” she told The Local.
Salomon Rogberg
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