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...

Indiana Mother Files Suit, Says School Ignored Bullying That Led to Her Son's Suicide

An Indiana mother whose son took his own life has filed suit against his former school, alleging that they ignored the bullying which ultimately caused him to commit suicide, the Indy Star reports:

Natalie Moore alleges teachers and administrators at both HSE Junior High and HSE High School ignored reports that her son, Jamarcus Bell, suffered racially-based bullying and harassment for "perceived homosexuality and emotional disability."

According to the lawsuit, filed Nov. 21 in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, the African-American student was the victim of "constant and ruthless harassment and bullying from other students" who allegedly threw pieces of metal at him during a welding class, stole his shoes, his clothing, had his book bag dumped and was physically assaulted in hallways and classrooms.

Bell, who had survived an earlier attempt to hang himself at school in a janitor's closet at the junior high, ultimately ended his own life on Oct. 20, 2010, at his mother's home during fall break.

Mother's lawsuit claims bullying led to HSE's freshman's suicide [indy star]

Three Openly Gay Candidates Running for Indianapolis City Council

Indianapolis has never had an openly gay candidate run for its City Council. Now it has three, the Indy Star reports:

"The historical significance of it is the fact that it doesn't matter," said Todd Woodmansee, an attorney who's running in District 21 on the Eastside against Republican Councilman Ben Hunter. "We can have people running regardless of what their sexual orientation is, regardless of what their race is and regardless of what their religion is. "It's a really welcome sign that Indianapolis is an inclusive city."

At-large candidate Zach Adamson, the owner of a Downtown hair salon, put it differently: "There aren't a lot of gay potholes. We don't have gay or lesbian parking meters. I'm focusing on the issues that are impacting people on a daily basis."...

Adamson, 40, is running countywide for one of four seats -- giving him about as good a shot as three other at-large Democrats. But Woodmansee, 38, and attorney Jackie Leigh Butler, 55, who's running in District 5 on the Northeastside, face Republican incumbents.

Indianapolis election includes 3 gay council candidates [indy star]