Lawsuit over outing...

[Celethiel]

http://www.hngn.com/articles/25353/20140226/big-victory-school-pays-77k-outing-teen-mom.htm

Interesting thingy....

there was a better article than this... one without out the adds that annoy me

[Bill W]

Maybe if they face financial retribution for their actions, bigots might think twice before committing such mean-spirited acts.  

[Aaron Penrose]

I'm amazed it didn't occur to the coaches that there might be some consequences for that kind of thing. As employees of the school system you'd think someone would have said, "Hey, don't mess with the kids's personal problems. Someone might sue us."

[Zombie]

The settlement was a pittance for such a gross breach of trust. It's a shame this didn't go to trial for exemplary damages and expose the culprits to the full glare of publicity with all of them being named and shamed. That's a very powerful punishment. And I think the law needs to be changed to make officers of public bodies liable to be personally surcharged by the courts - with insurance cover made illegal - for all breaches of trust and maladministration. It's not acceptable merely to fine the organisation - basically that's just fining the taxpayer. The individuals should be made to pay for their own wrongdoing and feel real financial pain and not be allowed to hide behind the corporate entity.

[Daddydavek]

The 'victim' settled because she was victimized already.  Trials often victimize and traumatize the victim all over again and I can see why she was ready to settle.  

[Zombie]

The 'victim' settled because she was victimized already.  Trials often victimize and traumatize the victim all over again and I can see why she was ready to settle.  

 

Oh I understand that, Daddy. But there is a real public good when a case goes to trial and the wrongdoers are publicly exposed for their wrongdoing. Public humiliation and exposure of wrongdoers in court is an excellent outcome - it denies them the option to issue weaselly mealy-mouthed statements and denials such as were reported in the article, essentially claiming they'd done nothing wrong, the settlement was just a business decision by their insurers and it was business as usual...

[Cia]

As a mother, I'm appalled at the coaches' actions. I'd rip them to shreds, were it one of my kids, and I'd go to bat for my children just like this mom did. I think in the midst of the focus on the school/coaches not personally paying, we're forgetting that for once we're hearing about a parent who lived up to the ideal: No matter who/what you are, you are still MY kid. I feel bad for the girl who faced several years in high school, kicked off the team sport she enjoyed, and harassed. I know what it is like to be bullied, and even though my problems weren't of that nature, it still hurts. I'm glad something positive came out of the case, even if she didn't go to trial and the insurance company settled. It's called precedent. And while I know that the 'Texas--land of the bigot' stereotype isn't quite true, it's still a state where certain values still hold great sway.

 

Personal accountability would have been great, as Zombie mentions, but at least with this legal victory, this incident won't happen again. Or, if it does, it will be far faster and easier to defend against.

[Kitt]

This girl was extremely lucky in that her mom was one of the good ones.  There are still a lot of parents out there who absolutely freak out when the child comes out. What would have happened to the child if her parents had tossed her out, like so many idiotic parents do? Then there would have been another child into the foster care system, or worse yet - out on the street. Sometimes there are reasons to be in the closet. What those coaches did is reprehensible. I have to agree with Zombie - what i saw was a school system hiding behind the insurance company so they did not have to defend their actions.