A school bus driver is charged in a homophobic attack on a student

From the website 365Gay.com comes this story:

10/10/2008, 10:35 am

(Bourbonnais, Illinois) An elementary school bus driver has been charged
with leading a homophobic attack on a 10-year old student passenger.

The Kankakee Sheriff’s Police Department said that the boy was taunted
by the driver who then encouraged other students to chase and beat the
child.

Chief Deputy Ken McCabe said the incident occurred on a Bourbonnais
Elementary School District bus which was returning students to their homes last
Friday.

McCabe said the driver repeatedly called the boy “gay.”

”When the boy got off the bus, the driver encouraged several other
students to go after him and tackle him. Our investigation shows that occurred,”
McCabe told The Daily Journal.

He also said the driver is under investigation for joining the students
in chasing the boy and grabbing him.

Bourbonnais School District officials would only say the driver has
been terminated.
Charged with mob action, endangering the life of a child and
battery is Russell A. Schmalz, 46.

I just cannot fathom that a 46 year old man that is responsible for the lives of dozens of children on his school bus would sink to the level of a schoolyard bully and taunt a 10 year old child by calling him "gay". Then to encourage the other children on the bus to go and tackle him after he gets off the bus and possibly (most likely he did) join the other kids in beating him up!

Don't they screen these bus drivers to see if they're mentally deranged and determine if they'll be a potential threat to the children they'll be transporting to and from school? I guess not.

The State of Illinois has a hate crime statute that includes crimes against people based on their sexual orientation, real or perceived. Hopefully this man will be charged with this obvious example of a hate crime.

The Village of Bourbonnais' motto is: "Village of Friendship", sure doesn't seem very friendly. Especially if someone is gay or perceived to be gay. It wasn't for one 10 year old boy.

When you say, "That's so gay". Do you realize what you say? Knock it off.

The AD Council in conjunction with GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network), has put out some commercials that address an issue that really bothers the heck out of me. Especially when my very own friends use the term "That's so gay" right in front of my face! Extremely upsetting and annoying, to say the least. Especially since it's grammatically incorrect!

They also launched a new website that contains more videos and tons of helpful information. http://thinkb4youspeak.com/

From their new website:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens experience homophobic remarks and harassment throughout the school day, creating an atmosphere where they feel disrespected, unwanted and unsafe. Homophobic remarks such as “that’s so gay” are the most commonly heard; these slurs are often unintentional and a common part of teens’ vernacular. Most do not recognize the consequences, but the casual use of this language often carries over into more overt harassment.

This campaign aims to raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBT bias and behavior in America’s schools. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce and prevent the use of homophobic language in an effort to create a more positive environment for LGBT teens. The campaign also aims to reach adults, including school personnel and parents; their support of this message is crucial to the success of efforts to change behavior.

Day of Silence: Suspended? Was it Legal? Lambda needs to hear from you.

A message from the GLSEN Student Organizing Department.

Day of Silence: Suspended? Was it Legal? Congratulations on a successful Day of Silence!

Although we have heard many Day of Silence success stories, we know that some students faced problems during the day. Did you receive unfair treatment? To help you find out, Lambda Legal, our legal partner, has some questions for you:

DURING THE DAY OF SILENCE…

• Did someone threaten or punish you for participating in the Day of Silence?

Sometimes students are threatened with suspension or are suspended for handing out Day of Silence speaking cards and/or promoting the day of action.

• Did you/your club get treated differently from other students/clubs who engage in school activities?

Are other clubs allowed to post on billboards or make announcements about their activities, but you were not able to do so?

• Were your rights to express yourself restricted? For example, did the school make you take off your Day of Silence t-shirt?

All students have a right to express their thoughts (as long as they are not obscene or deeply offensive), and you have the rights to express yours too, even if some people disagree or don’t like them.

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, contact Lambda Legal. Write to schoolhelp@lambdalegal.org or call 212-809-8585 and ask for the Day of Silence Help Desk. If you can't make long distance calls, or if you have legal questions about LGBT issues that are not related to the Day of Silence, call Lambda Legal's regular help desk at (866) 542-8336