Bullied Gay Student Sues Indianapolis Public Schools

Darnell "Dynasty" Young was expelled from his Indianapolis high school in April for brandishing a stun-gun at bullies. Mr. Young, who occasionally wore a purse and women's jewelry, had allegedly been bullied, attacked, and threatened with violence on numerous occasions before the April incident. His fellow students at Arsenal Technical High School, he said, spat on him, attacked him with rocks and bottles, and promised to beat him up. Eventually, concerned for her son's safety, Mr. Young's mother bought him a stun-gun. Now, Mr. Young is suing his school school district for discrimination, restriction of free speech, and negligence.

From NECN.com:

Darnell "Dynasty" Young, 17, and his mother, Chelisa Grimes, filed their suit Friday in federal court in Indianapolis. It seeks unspecified damages over a series of alleged bullying incidents that led Young to fire a stun gun at Arsenal Technical High School in the spring, reportedly to scare away bullies ...

"Rather than take effective measures to protect him, school staff told him that he was to blame for the [previous incidents of] harassment because of his appearance and told him to change his dress and behavior to conform to stereotypical ideas of masculinity and to be less 'flamboyant,'" the suit says.

Mr. Young's expulsion from the Indianapolis school system was to have lasted until January. Last month the penalty was reduced: Mr. Young will now be able to attend the full school year, though he will not be allowed to return to Arsenal Tech. He's currently enrolled in a charter school.

You can see an interview with Darnell, and his twin brother Darrell, here.

Indianapolis School Expels Gay Student Who Carried Stun Gun to Protect Himself from Bullies

Last week I reported that Darnell "Dynasty" Young  (pictured, left, with twin brother Darell), a gay student at Tech High School in Indianapolis, was facing possible expulsion for carrying a stun gun his mother gave him to protect himself from a group of bullies who threw rocks at him and threatened to beat him up.

Young has now been expelled, MSNBC reports:

The district said it had accepted the decision of an examiner, who presided over Young’s hearing last week, to expel him.

“While the district does not condone bullying, it also does not allow weapons to be brought on our school campuses for any reason. Students who violate this rule will be held accountable,” Mary Louise Bewley, director of the district’s Office of School and Community Relations, said in the e-mail statement.

When reached by phone on Tuesday, Young declined to comment. His mother, Chelisa Grimes, said she couldn’t believe her son had been expelled.

For background, read our full post here.

Gay Indiana High School Student Faces Expulsion for Carrying a Stun Gun to Protect Himself from Bullies

Darnell "Dynasty" Young  (pictured, left, with twin brother Darell), a gay student at Tech High School in Indianapolis, is facing expulsion for carrying a stun gun his mother gave him to protect himself from a group of bullies who threw rocks at him and threatened to beat him up.

Watch the interview with Darnell "Dynasty" Young, AFTER THE JUMP...

The problems started when he moved from Arizona to live with his mother, the Indianapolis Star reports:

When he arrived at the school, his new classmates were more confrontational. His outgoing personality and unique accessories made him stand out from the other students. Even some of the other gay students were unfriendly, he said. The bullying started in October, he said.

"All day I'd be on my guard," he said. "It never got better. It always got worse."

Young broke down in tears when a rumor circulated that he performed sex acts in the bathrooms. He said he thought about committing suicide.

Young says he was taunted every day.

Young and his mother said they told the school about the bullying more than 10 times, but Young said Tech did not formally investigate their complaints except for once when a student who taunted him during class was taken to the dean's office and punished. Grimes said she called the school about students following Young home from the bus stop, but school officials said they could not do anything since the students were not on school property. When she complained other times, they brought up his sexuality. Larry Yarrell, the Tech principal, said school staff were trying to help Young by suggesting that he "tone down" his accessories.

Young's mother, facing no response from the school, gave him a stun gun for protection because she says she feared for his safety and says she would never have given him a real gun or a knife:

The small weapons come in a range of voltages. They do not shoot bullets but give an electric shock that temporarily incapacitates people. Unlike Tasers, they don't have barbs that shoot out of the gun and embed in people's flesh. Instead, the shooter must place the gun on or close to people to shock them. They're not considered deadly under Indiana law, but they are not allowed on school property.

One day, when the bullies threatened him again, he pulled it out and fired it in the air. School officials were then alerted that he had it, and he now faces expulsion.

It is illegal for a minor to carry a stun gun. The question here is, what is a student or parent to do when faced with relentless, and possibly violent anti-gay bullying that the school will do nothing about.

Watch the interview with Darnell "Dynasty" Young, AFTER THE JUMP...