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Chelisa Grimes
Undated 2012 photo of Darnell "Dynasty" Young with his mother, Chelisa Grimes.
An openly gay Indianapolis teenager who was expelled after firing a stun gun at school to scare away what he said were bullies is suing the school district, accusing it of failing to stop “relentless, severe harassment” by other students.
A lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis on behalf of Darnell “Dynasty” Young, 17, claims teachers and staff at Arsenal Technical High School ignored his repeated pleas to protect him from ongoing abuse on school grounds.
From the day he arrived at Tech, Plaintiff Dynasty Young was subjected to relentless, severe harassment and abuse by other students because he was perceived as gay and because his clothing, behavior, and demeanor did not fit stereotypical notions of masculinity. He repeatedly reported the abuse to school staff. Rather than take effective measures to protect him, school staff told him that he was to blame for the 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 Indianapolis School District said its attorneys will review the lawsuit “and respond accordingly.” It said in a statement:
"We are pleased that last week, the Indianapolis Marion County Equal Opportunity agency dismissed its complaint against Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) in the matter of former Arsenal Technical High school student Darnell Young. The agency concluded that IPS provided a sufficient response to the Complaint (it filed on Young’s behalf) and that no further action was appropriate.”
Young often wore some of his mother’s clothes to school, including knee-high boots, purses, rings and bangles. These accessories were permitted under the school’s dress code, the lawsuit says.
Young says fellow students spat at him, called him derogatory names and threw rocks and empty bottles at him because of the way he dressed and what they perceived as unmasculine behavior.
Young’s mother, Chelisa Grimes, says she eventually gave her son a stun gun to protect himself because she feared for his life.
Read the court complaint (PDF)
On April 16, according to the lawsuit, Young was accosted by six male students between classes who yelled at him and threatened to attack him. He fired the stun gun into the air, scaring off the group.
Not long after Dynasty sat down for his next class, a school security officer came into the classroom, cuffed him and escorted him out. The officer remarked, “If you did not dress like this, people would not mess with you,” the lawsuit says.
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Young was expelled for a full school year. The school district later reduced the expulsion, but on the condition that Young transfer to an alternative high school.
Young declined and eventually enrolled at Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, a charter school not affiliated with Indianapolis Public Schools, where he is taking extra classes in an effort to try graduate on schedule in 2013.
“I want to make sure no other student in the Indianapolis Public Schools ever has to go through the kind of abuse that I went through. I am hoping this will get IPS to start treating kids like me with respect and really do something to protect their students,” Young said in a press release issued by the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The center and the law firms of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Waples & Hanger filed the lawsuit.
“My son is a wonderful, sweet, talented young man,” added Grimes. “He deserves a chance to attend school and learn without being terrorized by other students and told that the school will not protect him unless he changes who he is.”
The lawsuit claims violations of federal civil and constitutional rights. It seeks unspecified damages and a reversal of Young’s expulsion.
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Leave a Comment:
Stun guns aren't masculine. Should have used an ak-47.
I think he would make a very good companion for Michelle/Robert Kosilek.
Weapons in school are not the way to go, work within the schools system for these matters....or turn the flame down and draw less attention to yourself....this kid needs to douse the flame.
sure, change to fit in. screw our freedoms. if people dont like you then you should act the way they want you to.
-another moron!
Ironic. the LAUSD considered a liberal system, has a very clear stance on weapons brought to campus. Had he been attending one of their schools he'd be in jail. His parents would be facing criminal charges as well. Anybody who thinks bullying does not occur in Private Schools is kidding themselves. It is done in a psychological manner rather than physical manner. Just as damaging if not more so. Either way weapons do not belong on any K-12 School at any time.
Why didnt they arrest the mother...Afterall she gave him the stun gun...
So maybe the next time he takes a gun or knife to school because he is still being bullied? There is no excuse for having any weapon on a school campus.
First off, where did he get the stun gun to begin with? Second, he should have been arrested by the police for using the stun gun! He should have been expelled and the school district did the proper thing. But in today's socieity where we try to achieve things the non court way, they file a lawsuit. I heard on the radio where a guy was standing to close to another man and was told to stand further away. Somehow it got out that the one man was gay and the non gay man punched the gay man in the face 2 times. The fed's went to court and charged him with a hate crime. He was found guilty and could get 10 years in prison! Should he have punched the guy, perhaps not. But to give him 10 years in prison for punching a man when we can't even give murderer's 10 years in prison is a travety of justice!!!!!!
had you read the article you would know that his mother bought it for him.
Thanks, I missed that part. Well then she is as much to blame as her son is!
the dumb ass shouldnt have punched him. he got what he deserved. you cant just go around assaulting people because you dont like them.
If he is going to draw attention to his gayness, or being different, then he needs to accept the negative responses to it. In high school, and even more so in the younger grades, you are ALWAYS going to have a few bullies, who are usually too cowardly to act alone. For whatever the reason. Young guys are still trying to establish their manhood and pecking order at these ages and will always take advantage of real or perceived weaknesses.
IPS definitely allowed the children of the Far Right Extremist bull brigade win this one. He fire a stun gu, into the air, and gets expelled while George Zimmerman stalks a young man, precipitates an altercation, and kills him. The dichotomy is so apparent. Zimmerman can start the event that scares him and murder someone while Dynasty isn't allowed to protect himself, non-violently, without Republi-nazis punishing him. All you loser Far Right Extremists masquerading as Americans should be the ones being terrorized, you've asked for it long enough!
Quit being such a drama queen.
George Zimmerman and this pillow biter are both Democrats.
Piglizard420 brings up Zimmerman and wannabee black gangbanger bounced from school due to dope and misconduct attacking him, getting shot while trying to kill zimmerman by beating his head into sidewalk. And this relates to some 'gay' student with no disclosed educational attributes story?? Dress like a idiot, get treated like a idiot. Prove your a top student and then dress like a idiot- get treated as 'minor eccentric/fashion impaired genius'. SO, what was students grade point average in Math class? Advanced science or literature? Has he read Commentaries of Marcus Aurelius? Or the Bible? This article is a good example of usefullnes of school uniforms requirements as some private schools use.
come and terrorize me. i dare you.
...and this is exactly why we should keep our private lives (especially if they are not typical ones) private. Schools were MUCH better off with dress codes. Gays were better off not broadcasting their preferences with odd behavior, dress and mannerisms. There is a reason they were previously called 'Queer'. It is queer in the sense that it is not in line with Natural Law (i.e., a purpose to life....procreation); nor is it in line with the mainstream for their genders.
And now, society is suffering from trying to be 'politically correct.' By 'accepting' (i.e., ENCOURAGING) this 'queer' behavior, we see a lifestyle that costs society in productivity, health (physical and mental), lifespan, ...the list goes on, with recent studies into this horrific experiment.
We need only to look at the last 'GREAT SOCIETY' to see how they fared. It is a detrimental lifestyle that robs the individual and society in general of survival.
lol, what nonsense.
where can I buy a copy of Natural Law?
"accepting" isn't the same as "ENCOURAGING". (see, I can capitalize everything too!).
"horrific experiment"? did you major in EXAGGERATION in college? :)
Bring back a dress code in schools.
Exactly!
Drama Queen.
If he had been a straight kid, they would have expelled him indefinitely & put him in Juvenile Lockup. They are cutting him slack because he is gay. Double standard ? Again, his mother gave it to him. Any other case with a straight kid, the Mom would be in jail too.
You're 100% on the money. What's scary is, these days, more and more people believe that anything and everything goes. The last world power that went that route was Rome, and you can see how well that worked out for them.
It's simple: Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately, they're going to take the rest of us with them.
lol, america is going to fall because a gay kid shot off a stun gun? :)
The "fall of rome" was a complex situation, including lead, barbarians, monetary problems, incompetence, etc. Trying to somehow tie this to the "fall of america" is silly.
This kid is not male or female, but the other one. Try to be male if you have the male parts. Sjame on his mom for letting him wear her clothes,.
So two wrongs make a right? Sue for discrimination or whatever, fine - let the courts hash it out. But taking, much less firing, a stun gun on school grounds? Puhleeze! The ends do not justify the means - the expulsion should stand.
Oh, and btw... most schools have a dress code banning provocative &/or clothing designed to disrupt school or attract undue attention to the wearer - and what this kid wore certainly meets that description. Do what you want on your own time and off school grounds - but while at school, follow the rules.
When is this "it's all about ME" mentality going to stop??? It's not all about YOU, it's all about all of us. Get over yourselves!
You are so right, bginsc.
bginsc: I agree that the kid should been been punished (and severely) for bringing the stun gun to school. I would like to point out that, according to the article, this kid did NOT violate the dress code by dressing the way he did. He followed the dress code rules - the other kids just didn't like it because it was different than what they were use to seeing.
What the law suit will hinge on, imo, is whether or not the school took appropriate steps (yes, a complaint against them was dismissed, but that doesn't mean the courts will agree that the school did the appropriate things). If the school didn't take appropriate steps to stop and prevent the bullying, then they could be found liable for the actions this kid took to protect himself (even if we all agree that his steps were wrong and deserved punishment for his actions).
If a straight, white student had fired a stun gun at school he would have been fined and done jail time and public service. Young gets off with a suspension because he's a black homosexual and he sues the school.
yep I am agreeing with you. If you knew me you would know that I rarely agree with anyone!!! lol
you're white hood is too tight and restricting the blood flow to your brain.
IF Dynasty had actually been assaulted why then would he fire into 'dead air'? My feeling is that he fired AT someone and they got hurt! While I do not condone bullying, his own actions speak for themselves. Until I see actual documented proof ( letters written to the principal, meetings and such ) about the bullies, then I would have to say tough nuggies. Dynasty should not have fired.
where was he when they said no weapons allowed at school, sucking on something.
maybe with you? lol, this story has nothing to do with gay sex, yet apparently you are fascinated by it? :)
I being jewish was bullied but never used a weapon on school property. Another child from a broken or different father who is suing the school system that is broke. If you wanted to get even with the bullies, wait like I did until after school. Stop blaming everyone else for the way you act and the way they react to you.
really? a jew blaming another minority for being treated different for who he is! lets blame the jews for the way they were treated too. shouldnt have been so succesful and made all that money and hitler would have left them alone i guess.
We have freedom of speech and expression in this country. And some neanderthal numbskulls had better start learning that fact--or it will cost them dearly. In this case, looks like it will be very dearly.
Jeremy, yes we do have freedom of speech and expression. But did you ever leave for school dressed like a girl with knee high boots and your mothers purse?
1.) Freedom of speech or expression does not allow you to be disruptive at school - courts have ruled on that time and again. - and cross dressing at school is disruptive.
2.) Freedom of speech and expression does not include the right to bring or fire a stun gun at school.
3.) Why do I suspect you'd be among the first to want a student expelled if he stood in the middle of school and started reading the Bible out loud, or if a student wore a "I support heterosexual marriage" t-shirt to class - without seeing the hypocrisy of your actions, re: freedom of speech and expression?
him dressing like a girl violated no school rules. so quit bringing it up. it has no place in the argument. the only thing he did that was against the rules was bring a stun gun to school. thats it. he doesnt have to change his behavior to conform to what others think he should act like. if it was my kid i would have gone to the parents of the other students and informed them of the situation. and if they were just as clueless as their kids, i would teach them what its like to be bullied.
This is what is happening in the world today. Some kids do not have good common sense!!!! And I blame the parents for letting the kid leave their home dressed like a girl. It seems any more that people like this are bating people to take offense against them so they can sue for damages!!!!!
there is no baiting you moron. no one deserves to be mistreated for who they are. they dont have to change to please you or anyone else. the kids with no good common sense are the ones doing the bullying. if your kid bullied some one like this, i bet you wouldnt think he did anyhting wrong. after all the kid is asking for it isnt he?
fuggin faggit
school must be out, the 12 year olds are posting again.
I find it absolutely amazing the ends people will go to for a pay day. My doctor hurt me when he gave me my anti-biotic shot. I'll sue!
Just another armed, violent Democrat who brought a weapon to school.
lol, exaggerate much?
Next he will bring a real gun---
next, the dev will make sense.
no wait, that won't happen. lol.
What part of next time he will bring a real gun doesn't make sense?
Oh yeah, the sensible part--
libtards!
if a man dresses like a woman he deserves to be made fun of. if you want to be gay, go for it, its your CHOICE. but when you go against most of what society says is right and wrong, you better man up (or woman up)
gay is a choice, you are NOT born gay. its idiots like lady gaga saying gay is great from the time a kid is born and all these tv shows advertising it. no wonder people turn gay. you can not argue that. people are biologically supposed to be man and woman. look at how a woman is put together and look how a man is put together.
should he be physically attacked? hell no. but being made fun of? well, being gay gets you that. sorry.
Really dude?
Yup.
you choose to be gay? lol, that's stupid. I don't know of a single person who actually chose which gender to be sexually attracted to.
what a moron. you being straight is a choice too? you choose to be attracted to the opposite sex? are you late for the klan meeting? or the bible study?