Phoenix Teen Takes on Gay bullying

A Phoenix teenage activist has notified officials at every school in Arizona that they need to put a stop to bullying of gay and lesbian students or face a lawsuit,  reports AZCentral.   Caleb Laieski, whose 15  has  e-mailed a letter to more than 5,000 school administrators, city-council members and state lawmakers demanding improved measures to fight discrimination.
The letters, sent to school and government officials in early December, state that gay and lesbian youths face more bullying than their heterosexual peers and offer to refer officials to organizations and experts.   The letters warn school officials that they must institute policies specifically prohibiting gay harassment by students, teachers and administrators. Schools that fail to stop bullying will encounter "legal ramifications."

"This is more not to threaten a lawsuit but to put resources out there," said Laieski, founder of Gays and Lesbians United Against Discrimination. "But if they don't want to cooperate, there's going to be consequences."  The Surprise teen founded his organization two years ago, when he was 13 years old. He was successful in spurring a policy change at his school district and drawing national media attention to the group.

The letters warn school officials that they must institute policies specifically prohibiting gay harassment by students, teachers and administrators. Schools that fail to stop bullying will encounter "legal ramifications."

Laieski, formerly a student at Willow Canyon High School, said he endured harassment at school and felt district officials should have done more to stop it,  he tells how he was shoved into lockers and received text messages with anti-gay slurs.

In March, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona offered to represent him in a potential lawsuit against Dysart Unified School District. The district later revised its student handbook to include language prohibiting bullying of gays, lesbians, and bisexual and transgender students.    "Overall, I think they did a great job in adding the protections and a better job enforcing," said Laieski, who is pursuing his high-school-equivalency diploma and plans to attend community college. "Obviously, there's always room for improvement."
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Phoenix-area teen takes aim at gay bullying