Mighty Mama Sues School for Failing to Stop Endless Bullying of Gay Son

Posted by Kevin Farrell on Dec 6, 2011 in Crime | 63 comments

Traci Lanzone is standing up for her son.

The mother of a gay student in Marion Central School District has had it up to HERE with school officials doing nothing to protect her son from relentless bullying within the hallowed halls of his school.

So rather than wait for this tempestuous scenario to result in her son taking his own life, like we’ve seen over and over and over again over the past two years, Traci Lanzone is going on the offensive, and has filed a lawsuit against the adults who are doing nothing to help keep her son alive.

Traci Lanzone filed the lawsuit in federal court last week. She claims her son, who is not identified in court papers, has been relentlessly bullied over the last two school years. The harassment ramped up when he told classmates he is gay.

“Everything from being pushed, kicked, having food thrown at him, his clothes being hidden…it was just relentless,” Lanzone said.

The boy remains a student in the high school.

“No child should ever have to go through that. You shouldn’t have to go to school and worry about what the day is going to bring,” Lanzone said.

A representative for the school district released the following statement: “The Marion Central School District takes bullying very seriously. The district has strict policies against bullying and established procedures for handling reported incidents. Student safety is a primary concern for the school district.”

Except they don’t, and it’s not. Lanzone filed over 30 specific complaints with the school district over the past two year. Thirty instances of bullying that went unanswered and allowed to continue! Strict policies, indeed.

Best of luck to Ms. Lanzone and her son. Although, from the sound of this case so far, it doesn’t sound like they need it.

meh2

Hell hath no fury like a mama when you’ve messed with her baby.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chreiya-Sonia-Zaari/100001967165977 Chreiya Sonia Zaari

Good on her. May they find peace, and the school gets its ass whooped.
Gay Shark

YOU GO MAMMA ^_^ I’m rooting for you and your son.
Anonymous

This is exactly what has to be done to stop bullying of kids. You cannot just sit by and hope it goes away, you have to make it go away. Always does good when people dont listen to take aim at thier pocketbooks. Good luck!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1548519117 Anthony John Woo

As a teacher (though not an employee of that school district), I say good for her. I hope she wins her case (not that I’m in any doubt that she will). Frankly, schools need to be doing more to prevent that kind of stuff from happening–a lot more.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Erica-Cook/100000628613592 Erica Cook

takes it seriously, apparently not. I heard the same BS growing up. How it was taken seriously was to find out what I was doing to diserve it. Interesting thing slightly on topic; I was dealing with some cyber stalking on a sight and when I brought it up to the moderaters they saw what the woman was saying and dealt with it in a matter of days. As it was happening I kept thinking back on when nothing was done but blame me, and how different the feeling was. Though what was said was mean it having the people in athority actually do something about made me feel more like I belong than anything.

http://www.facebook.com/ileneasher Ilene Asher

I was silent about all my bullying. One time I got a boy expelled and his friend suspended. The felt good. When it first started it hurt, but I eventually ignored them. Fortunatly for me, my bullying was mostly just words.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Grey-Diamond/1547664306 Grey Diamond

THAT is a godd mommy
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001429209152 Shay Summer

Bravo! You go mama!
http://www.facebook.com/ileneasher Ilene Asher

yup And I would imagine there are lawyers all over that would take cases like this discounted at least. Good for you! I wish y’all all the luck in the world.
Anonymous

This is why we need a federal law that makes states accountable for bullying. There are two such bills in congress now and Sen. Al Franken is trying to get them attached to the re-authorization of the Elem. and Secondary school bill. PFLAG was in DC in Nov. to lobby for them. Washington State now has a law with teeth. I know as I’m a teacher here and now that it has been beefed up, I’ve been trained in a face-to-face meeting, had to take a 20 minute online training, and got a certificate to hang on my wall that says I know the consequences as well as what bullying, intimidation and harassment are and how they are different than other actions.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Nate-Fl/1238503113 Nate Fl

Good I hope she wins. I hope the all schools finally take notice. My mom would complain about the harassment/bullying , when I was in school. So the school district kept changing my schools, and it kept happening. Like I said in another post School is about learning, sure there maybe some social relationships, but the point of school is to learn .

How can these kids learn when the stupid kids around them wont stop harassing them for being “gay” or “dorky” or a “nerd”. She should win because her son was not getting a quality education compared to his peers because of the distraction of the bullying.

http://www.facebook.com/rainorion Thomas Cain

School is about learning, but not just academics. It’s also about learning proper social interaction and behaviour. Clearly, some kids here are not learning that bullying is not okay.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Kerry-Nelson/100000482891678 Kerry Nelson

Go mom!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/citynnature Christopher Sowards

I know how the child feels. I was bullied from elementary and into middle school. Pushed into lockers, down stairs, remarks about me being gay, fat, ugly, stupid, and had a couple of bones actually broken. My mother kept talking to the principle about it, but get this. The principle was a lesbian! Finally took it into my own hands one day and rectified the situation. I kick one of the bullies a#* on the soccer field, was never messed with since. Actually got better and made more friends because of it.

I am glad to see the mother being involved and actually not taking the student out of school and placing into another one actually! Would just create more drama for the child, not only that but just like in my situation might be a rural community where there is only one school.

Good for you momma, keep you stance and keep telling your child it will get better through the years. The pain and torture will make you who will be when you get to be an adult.
http://www.facebook.com/achaiadust Charissa Mazari

We need more people like her in every town. A nice backhand to the bigot communities and their disgusting school staff. You’d think that, while she was filing all these complaints, for two years, thirty times, each a new instance, that while she was -waiting- for the dumbasses in charge to do something, the TEACHERS would step in and try to at least help the situation.
Yeah, you don’t hear anything about that.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7ST5FUMWC3OEZIJY6X3XQL3EQI kristen

Little do all of you know that this story is not completely true. I go to school with Jeff. I am in his grade and was a good friend of his for a while. Most of the things listed in this video like, being spit on and such haven’t actually happened. Marion is a small school with from 60-80 kids in each grade. Though some of them might not be accepting of Jeff being gay they just dont say anything now, the hype and original rumors and bullying died down a long time ago because he has been openly gay for a few years now. Right after he announced that he was gay, there was some rudeness towards him but now it is very rare. I have actually witnessed Jeff bullying people on multiple occasions. From cyber-bullying and posting vulgar things online about people, to straight up freaking out on a 7th grader for accidently running into him because the kids arms were full of books. If he sued the school three years ago when he was actually being bullied i might reason with him but, this is a classic case of the bullied becoming the bullier, and Jeff does not care about what he says to other people.

vito v.

Here is where your logic fails you, they are not claiming that the bullying is happening this very moment, as you said word for word, “[r]ight after he announced that he was gay, there was some rudeness towards him”. Did the school do anything about it then? You have even admitted that he was bullied three years ago. Yes it is important that he is freaking out on people NOW, but what did the school do to protect him THEN? I am not arguing that he may of become a bully himself, which if the claims are true then he should be prosecuted also, but what the mother is after is awareness to bullying at this school as it is not being dealt with. Obviously even if the rumours are true that he is bullying proves the point to continue the lawsuit (of course not by the mother but rather through any human rights group), as the school is not protecting their students from bullies, even if Jeff is doing the bullying.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641986568 Ryan Bane

This lady is a psycho. I understand she is upset that her son is being bullied, as i would be too, but i guarantee this is for the money. If he has been bullied for 3 years, then put him in alternative high school or switch schools. Get over it, bullying happens, i’m gay myself, i know it happens. I know this family personally and i tell you Traci needs to be admitted to a psych ward. Last i knew, she was involved in 3 lawsuits. Shes clearly in this one for the money. She is one of the rudest people i have met in my life, as is her son.

Karl Hajdasz

If you question the legitimacy of her concern for her own son, I think you underestimate the power of a mother. Rude or not “Bullying Happens” – as does “Punishment”. We need civil human beings in the adult world. We have enough neandrathals. Secondly, even if it is for the money for “damages” – this is an opportunity to make an example of this school system and push for the betterment of other institutions and schools. We must utilize this opportunity. The school has no right to continously enable these “bullies” by not repremanding them. Period.

http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

And did you ignore the fact that she’s apparently involved in other lawsuits and is simply sue happy?

Traci Lanzone

I am not sure where you are getting your information from but you are so way off base.

http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

From the very comment that started this chain? You’re very quick to reply to mine because you can definitively say you don’t know me but why are you avoiding the comments made by people that DO know you?
Karl Hajdasz

What are you trying to prove Kindra? Now your relevancy to the case and your assault on her character have become two seperate focus points. Perhaps you need to retire your comments?
http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

I’m trying to bring sense to the biased one-sidedness that always occurs here. People always want the “good guys” to win and the “good guys” is always the side UB wants to be. No one has any skepticism of their own community, and that is what hurts us more than anything, because those exact people are the ones that perpetuate the stereotypes that make it so hard for us to move further. Maybe this is hard for you to understand, but filing a lawsuit doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean anyone is guilty. That’s the point of a lawsuit – to find out if one is guilty or innocence. But because you’ve been so convinced by one article even if the lawsuit comes out as I’ve predicted, where nothing is done, you’ll assume it’s “discrimination” – it will never cross your mind that maybe not everything is that simple. But then, you seem to think that what mom and son are doing isn’t hearsay but what the dissenters are doing is.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7ST5FUMWC3OEZIJY6X3XQL3EQI kristen

Kindra, don’t worry about what all of the other people are saying to you. You are right in what you are saying. What I love is, none have them say things to people who know the family, instead they are resorting to attacking you.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000086844262 Dylan Patrick-Gregory Couch

Kindra, Seriously. This is one of the very VERY few sites on the internet that has primarily positive comments. If you want to troll, and continue to have the desire to do so, then take yourself over to 4chan, or fox news, and complain there. Each of us is entitled to there opinion, and you do not need to get this upset over a website being the “good guy” as there are FAR to many bad guys… Please, just stop the argument, and let this end…
Traci Lanzone

Those have been addressed!!
http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

No they haven’t. There are two. One has no responses. This one has one, and it isn’t by you.

Karl Hajdasz

Maybe she has multiple valid points to prove, if there are other lawsuits at all? I saw no specifics regarding content of other lawsuits – simply a teenager stating she was crazy (enough to be institutionalized) and sue happy. Well haven spoken to her directly – I can tell you see seems quite competitent and genuinely concerned. If the issue was not there, there would be no ground for a suit. She has facts backing 30 accounts of her concerns being dismissed. SO – With lacking evidence of any other suits – I say she has grounds on this one. So yes, I ignored the fact pending probable evidence and I am not into hearsay

http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

So lemme get this straight. A teenager makes a claim he was being bullied and he is 100% telling the truth, just because his mom filed a lawsuit. A teenager (actually TWO teenagers) say he’s not telling the whole truth and “Oh it’s just hearsay they clearly don’t know what they’re talking about”.

You are biased my friend. You’re taking what you want to hear, not the complete story. As usual, UB is feeding this, since their stories always going into the complete sob story of the side they want you to like, but never both to investigate. Like the story they posted a couple weeks ago about the woman who miscarried about supposedly being punch by police at Occupy – never bothered to do any backup journalism and find out she never produced any papers proving she was pregnant to begin with and has a history of very questionable behavior that even her own family vouched for. I was right then, and I wouldn’t doubt that I’m right now.

You obviously are – you believe mother and sons hearsay without even a second thought apparently.
Karl Hajdasz

The family friend is a teenager #1 Kristen. #2 Kindra, Relevancy- Please – for the sake of arguments sake. Who gives two screws of a light bulb about an unrelated story 2 weeks ago. Provide facts, do your own digging, then post something?

I could make assumptions, like yourself, without ever asking or talking to the individuals who’s character I’m trying to assault – and say That the school has yet to produce a counter statement denying presentation of such complaints. That to me shows me that they know there is evidence against them that is criminal and they are strategizing to diminish the credit of the case, with your help.

I’ve been at this line of work a little longer than you. Quit giving me the bias bullshit – and give me fact. You assault someone’s character A) Who you don’t know, you don’t claim to know, and someone who’s said THEY DON’T KNOW YOU from Adam. Well hate to tell ya sister – go on about it. Feel the power rush of trying to belittle people you’ve never interacted with – that doesn’t make you important in my book – and I’ll damn sure call you out on your mindless simplistic assault of someone’s situation. Kiss it hunny. <3
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7ST5FUMWC3OEZIJY6X3XQL3EQI kristen

If you read the other comments it wasn’t a teenager saying she was crazy, it was a family friend.

http://www.facebook.com/thomas.locurto Thomas LoCurto

What are the other two lawsuits?

http://www.facebook.com/rachel.sarpal Rachel Sarpal

You must feel so good writing this over the internet as if it’s really going to affect the outcome of this case. Why should HE have to switch his high school because he is being bullied. No matter how rude the mother is, if a kid is being bullied that ruthlessly & for the past THREE YEARS & administration has done nothing to protect this student, then obviously some kids are going to be suspended, expelled & administration is going to be in trouble for their lack of addressing the issue of the bullied student, whether or not, he did something back in response. If you do not know whether it is for money or not, who are you to answer? Attacking people on a post on some article not only makes you look shallow, but it makes you look like an imbecile. Why don’t you say that to Traci’s face, hm?
Gay or not, bullying happens to everyone, but it doesn’t mean you should let people walk all over you like you’re a worthless nothing, & as far as I know, she is protecting her son’s integrity by making this case & this case will help not just this boy, but ALL THE HOMOSEXUALS BULLIED AROUND THE US. This will help make bullying ZERO TOLERANCE for EVERYONE, especially HOMOSEXUALS.
It would benefit everyone, not just this boy.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MJ3HAFKI452VTWGEKM4LTMZCXQ lsayas

No one should have to switch schools because of bullying. And your gay and you know all about bullying you may be ok with taking bullying but no one should have to be okay with that.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=577545115 Mary Mulholland

Ryan no way shoul she have to move her kid the school district needs to wake up and follow its own rules. I do not care if you know the family personally or not when you are a parent you do you darnest to make sure you child is safe . Some times it takes being rude to make people wake up. I am not only a Lesbian I am ambulant disabled and I am feed up with the amount of able bodied people that walk around stores stopping dead in the middle of an aisle with little thought to the other people around them whether the be elderly disabled or what ever. We are not encouragig our youth to speak to somebody about bullying when adults in our community are speaking like yourself yes bullying happens but we need to do all we can to put a stop to it. With projects like the Trevor Project and Standing Together So I admire her guts and as a mother if it was my child I would be shouting from the roof tops till the sit and pay attention. no child deserved to be bullied no matter what the reason. So be a little more supportive here the education department is a fault for allowing this to go on for so long

Karl Hajdasz

Principal’s e-mail (Listed on the schools website) is [email protected] - Send him your thoughts.
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http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

Y’know I know it’s hard guys, when stuff like this does happen every day. But because of that, greedy people who see a key opportunity will take advantage of it. As other posters who know this family have said, this is a case of a family who saw ACTUAL cases of bullying and decided they could make a quick buck and get their name in the papers. Just based on the fact that A) this has been going on for three years and nothing has been done and she hasn’t transferred him or done anything to REALLY protect him up until this point (you should be figuring something is wrong if after the fifth complaint you’ve gotten nowhere, let alone 30), B) from what I can tell, this is a small school, meaning if you filed 30 complaints you would get some kind of response unless your complaints held NO merit and C) I’m really sick and tired of people using lawsuits to solve their problems. There is no law against bullying, nor should there be because MOST kids bully in some form, because a lot of kids don’t understand that what they’re doing is bullying. And really, threatening a LAWSUIT is a form of bullying, not self defense. Self defense would be informing parents, and actually doing something to end it. A lawsuit won’t end it, since she’s going to lose (there has been precedent set, very recently, but don’t let the facts get in the way of your dreams – if a legitimate case of bullying can’t win a lawsuit, this flimsy one sure won’t) and since the kids DOING the bullying aren’t going to change their behavior because, teenagers being what they are, they aren’t going to understand what they did wrong.

I guarantee you, assuming this is even true (I have my doubts) that if anything this kid is going to get bullied more, not for being gay, but for having the mom who sued the school, and now the district can’t afford the school dance (or whatever, you get the idea). And seeing as mom has clearly demonstrated that she doesn’t have the competence to do something PRODUCTIVE to fix the problem, she’ll probably just try another lawsuit.

I’m sick of people abusing the judicial system to fix their problems. Why is it people think that the only way to tear down the wall is to throw rocks at it (see Occupy) or legal papers (see above)? When are people going to realize – if you want to be equal it means EQUAL. It doesn’t mean “treat me nice or else!”, it doesn’t mean you can be rude and then pull out the “YOU’RE BEING MEAN YOU’RE INTOLERANT!” I see so many gay people doing this nowadays, and it’s disgusting. It’s the exact same thing the fundamentalists do. You really wanna be like THEM? If we want to be equal, it mean this: rather than resort to lawsuits, you resort to showing people that you’re not special, or weird, or even that different. That you have a single characteristic, which may differ from the norm, but which doesn’t make you any worse OR better than anyone else. I was bullied as a kid. It wasn’t because I was gay. Or a girl. Or overweight. To this day, I can’t figure out WHY I was targeted. I was shy, but so were several other kids, and I was one of the few that was nice to the young boy with Asperger’s in our class. But I can’t see any reason to be treated like I was – now in the spectrum of “equality”, where would that put me? It’s the issue I see more and more with the idea of hate crimes – if I am brutally raped and murdered without the motivation being my sexuality, that man would probably get a lesser sentence than if I were only murdered but it was motivated by my sexuality. The fact that the first hurt me more aside. This is the same thing – this kid was bullied before and mommy just filed complaints, but then he came out of the closet and suddenly we have to get a lawsuit going? See, when people pick on me for liking chicks, it’s easy to joke, because I don’t care much about my sexuality. I like girls. So what? Lots of people do – they’re pretty, and they smell nice. But when I get bullied and don’t know why, maybe I’m just a total weirdo, but that hurts me WAY more than getting bullied for my sexuality. And maybe, if the LGBT community would take a step back and rather than go “OMIGOD HE’S BEING BULLIED FOR BEING GAY! BRING IN THE LAWYERS” and think of ways to teach kids, first of all what bullying is, because despite your overestimation, kids don’t get it, and ways to help these gay teens stand up stronger too it. And, in before “BLAME THE VICTIM” card. There is a big difference between teaching kids how to protect themselves passively and internally and blaming the victim. People have such a hard time with that gray area nowadays. It’s either “blame the victim only” or “blame the bully only” and no one can seem to find that in between where “hey, what if we help potential victims protect themselves while also teaching potential bullies how to, well, not bully”. Its why I hate some of the new feminist mumbo jumbo about how somehow telling women to walk dark streets in groups and be prepared to protect themselves is “blaming the victim” – no, it’s not. It’s common f**king sense. Despite everyone’s grave efforts, you’re not going to stop ALL the evil people in the world. Evil people will always exist. Stupid people will always exist. And one day, people will realize this, and rather than go about ONLY trying to stop the evil and stupid people, they’re going to realize they can fix a LOT of what the evil and stupid people start by improving themselves. We concentrate so much on lawsuits and “teaching those bullies a lesson” but mom apparently never thought to call some parents, or teach her son some come backs to the verbal abuse (parents teach the best ones in my experience), or give him the resources so if it got worse than verbal, he’d know where to go and who to talk too.

Nope, her mind went straight too “complain complain LAWSUIT”. That isn’t productive, won’t fix anything, might make it worse, and if my suspicions are correct, will be another piece of ammunition for the anti-LGBT crowd to use against us.

So after that long winded rant, I will leave you with “YOU’RE GAY. GOOD FOR YOU. NOW LIVE YOUR LIFE.” It’s one thing to want to know about the community, and be proud of who you are. It’s another entirely to think that suddenly everything that happens to you is tenfold just because of your sexuality. If this kid hadn’t been gay, this wouldn’t be news. And frankly that disappoints me – bullying has happened for years, and taken many lives, but people are just starting to care now that it’s become very LGBT focused – no one should be bullied for any reason (or no reason at all). And UB if you honestly want to start endorsing LAWSUITS, I would suggest you start first of all, investigating before you post, and second of all, show ALL sides of bullying, because as I hope I’ve made clear, the LGBT community isn’t special in that regard.

Cue the angry commenters prepared to take my words out of context and insist I’m okay with bullying because it’s easier to make broad assumptions when people point out the hurtful truth than sit back and actually think about why that person would say what they did.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Q73OMSORNWNMNCWFC3KEWVYRFU StephenM

Apparently your not able to comprehend the fact that she has filed 30 complaints with the school. This subject is nothing more than being treated equal and that means whether it is anything from a physical deformation up to and including bullying someone because of there choice in gender.
Maybe the reason you hear more about it now-a-days is because the parents, (we) are sick of seeing how you and other people treat them.

You sir have an obvious prejudice against the LBGT community for whatever reason and I would say that makes your overly stupid reply non-relevant!

http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

Sir? I’m clearly a girl. I made it clear multiple times I’m a girl. In fact I’m pretty sure I made it clear I was a lesbian.

Thanks for proving my point.

Karl Hajdasz

Lesbian or not, you’re out of line. You go off hearsay rather than the fact there is documented PROOF of the history of this case with the shcool district. There IS NOT A SINGLE SHRED of proof of any other law suits.You have a boy claiming to be homosexual attacking her character and her son’s character. So that makes his word golden? Then he gets one of his friends to come attack on his behalf? I’m sorry, but when it comes to Two teenagers and their word, vs. facts – I’m having trouble understanding your book above? And I actually read it. You don’t have to like an individual to respect their efforts in bringing justice to this nonsense. I won’t go as far as to continiously counter your comments – but you aren’t going to win an argument with me on this. I’ve listened to your points – and I will continulally assault your faulty foundation for making such statements.

Your concerns are based on teenager hearsay. The majority of ours are based on the facts of the case – take the time to read up on the actual case.

http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

Documented proof of a case is not documented proof that anyone is guilty or the case has any merit. I could go file paperwork to sue someone tomorrow for something that never happened.

Also, no this isn’t “lesbian or not” – he just accused me of being prejudiced against the LGBT community when nothing in my post said that and I’m a member of that community. You can’t barge into a conversation and say “WELL THAT’S IRRELEVANT” when it was a direct answer to his misstatement

“Facts of the case”. There is no such thing. This case is based on hearsay of the mother and son. The complaints are based on hearsay. When it comes to BULLYING, it is based on hearsay, when there are no noticeable wounds or scars. And you clearly didn’t read it since you missed my point – the case is SKETCHY, the fact that she waited until it became centered around his sexuality is SKETCHY, the fact that you’re all so concerned about the fact that “HE WAS BULLIED BECAUSE HE WAS GAY” when what I’m reading is, he was bullied just because and then came out of the closet which may not have helped, but not a single person seemed to care BEFORE this happened (mom just filed complaints and UB apparently never picked up on it) is SKETCHY. There’s a possibility it could be true. But you guys have a tendency to jump all over the “GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY” bandwagon and it’s clear by how you state “facts” just because a case exists. The whole point of a trial is to get the facts STRAIGHT. There is no guarantee at all that what is said in that trial is absolute fact, or isn’t skewed by personal biases. There is a case. That’s it.

I’m sorry if I offended you. But I’m sick and tired of people feeding the stereotypes about LGBT people by freaking out and pointing fingers and insisting people are immediately guilty just because they desperately want to be the victim, because that’s the only way they know HOW to forward their movement. There isn’t enough happy news, even though happy news happens every day, even within the LGBT community. Everything that is happy, is done so in a way that’s inflammatory. Or it’s fictional “laugh because people are stupid” nonsense. Or it’s “inspirational” in that victimized sense that “look he has it so hard but is so strong”. If a person who knew nothing about LGBT stereotypes or the community as a whole and looked at the front page of any major LGBT news site, they would say “Wow, these people are total downers. They can only concentrate on all the bad things that happen to them”.

That, and the fact that you take any dissenting opinion and jump right down the “YOU’RE PREJUDICED! YOU’RE OUT OF LINE”. Again, that is what the fundamentalists do – I haven’t spent the better portion of my life fighting that just to watch the LGBT community spew the exact same stupid rhetoric they do.
Karl Hajdasz

Comparing me to a fundamentalist – lol. That’s funny.

No this is about me having a very similar situation – an unresponsive school district in BFE Arkansas and having people CONTINOUSLY DISCREDIT my claims, my parents complaints, without valid reasons, NEVER bullying anyone (I was in the band for gods sake) – and the actions that were taken against me were directly related to homophobia. It took someone pulling a knife on me and physically cutting a slice into my collar bone to prove their point (A boy I had never looked at, didnt’ even know personally, who had come up to me making wise comments and when I tried to ignore him he and his friends started getting more and more aggressive) before anyone did anything. I fought the comments and vulgarness for 4 years myself – and I ended up leaving my public school to home shcool. The friends of the kid who did that to me said I had said stuff to taunt him. I never spoke to him until he had his elbow in my thraot against the wall – full view of a camera. Worst of all some of the people making the claims talked like they knew me like I was a best friend- people I barely knew- making up a fabricated bs.

So – Yeah slightly offended, it’s nothing personal – I think you are away off grounds though to immediately accuse them of lying.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ashley-Bredhold/507672980 Ashley Bredhold

The best way for this mother was to pull him out of school? Do you honestly think that was/is/will ever be the best solution? Also if she had done this from the get-go of complaints, you’d probably complain it was only recent and the family was grasping for money when he should just ‘deal with it’ because learning to accept bulling and cope with being unfairly treated. We should accept bigotry and bulling as a fact of life and move on? So, when someone is burning crosses on your lawn it’s just better to leave your home/ family/ friends because it’s the easier and safer way? But it’s okay because it’s just an evil of the world that cannot be stopped, right? Evil is derived from misunderstanding, continues within inaction, and thrives off ignorance.

If the boy truly is a bully himself wouldn’t the actions being taken bring this to light as well? Not just childish arguments of who did what but reveal the set in acceptance of a bully problem within this school setting? Violence begets more violence, it sounds cheesy but truthfully if someone is targeted by bullies unfortunately as a defense mechanism some will bully toward other targets just to see some relief. That doesn’t give anyone an excuse but having done so also doesn’t excuse what was done to them either.

You also assume all abuse leaves visible scars and unless you are a close friend (meaning you spend the majority of your time around the guy, which I doubt) you know nothing of what he goes through daily with certainty. You cannot hear/see/and know everything just because you go to the same school. I am not certain whether your claims or the mothers are true but that IS what the courts are for and to decide. Obviously you know there is a bully problem within this school and this case has probably just scratched the surface, so if nothing else it will wake everyone up.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7ST5FUMWC3OEZIJY6X3XQL3EQI kristen

The only problem with your theory is, none of you know the family. You don’t know how they act, you don’t know anything about them. Me, being the teenager who has previously commented, and the other person, being a grown man who knows the family, not a teenager. We know how the family acts. Not to mention that Jeff’s younger sister has recently bullied a close family friend of mine who at the time was in third grade. Jeff’s sister is in the middle school. His sister, Ashley also has threatened the lives of a few students, and in one case telling the kid how she was going to dismember him and put his head on her mantle. In my opinion, if the family is going to sue for bullying, they should get their own family under control with bullying. In more cases than one, Jeff has bullied, as i have previously stated in my first comment. It is a bit hypocritical in my opinion and, you don’t have to agree with me, but you can’t only take one side of the case and turn a blind eye to the other side.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7ST5FUMWC3OEZIJY6X3XQL3EQI kristen

If she made 30 complaints and it didn’t stop, she should have actually done something 2 years ago when he apparently started being bullied. I was a friend of Jeff’s completely accepting of him being gay because I have family members that are gay, and unlike people like you, I actually know what happened. The only thing that bothers me is that, people refuse to look at the truth. Everyone wants to just feel bad for Jeff, and if these stories were true, they would have to right to, but unfortunately, they are not. Like I have said in a previous comment, he has bullied quite a few people recently and if anything, this case is only proving that the people who are bullied can just as easily bully other people.

Traci Lanzone

You know nothing of me and my son. I come from a wealthy family so please it is not for the money it is the simple fact that my son was bullied ‘for 2 school years and minimal or no remedial action was taken towards the bullys. You go ahead and think what you want. Its people like you that just encourage me more. As far as other law suits….I have never sue before. But thank you for asking? You are a very self-centered heartles individual and obviously you have no children. It is my solemly duty as a mother to protect my son and I will whatever it takes until my last breathe. I highly suggest you review your words….you are making comments that you know nothing about so why dont you get your facts then talk.

http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

Then why did you wait two/three years to do your job?

Traci Lanzone

for your information this suit has been going on for over a year…ass

http://twitter.com/kpringologist Kindra Pring

Then you might want to make sure everyone actually knows that rather than assuming this is common knowledge when the article you decided to comment on refers to it as if it started a day ago.

That said, I reiterate – what took you so long? Two years is bad, one year isn’t much better. Why did you continue filing complaints that weren’t working?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Luinne-DLlard/100001583873176 Luinne D’Llard

Kicking ass /and/ she’s quite pretty too. Hooray for mama Lanzone!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Sarah-Goad/27713760 Sarah Goad

Wish someone had done this for me as a kid. Go Mama!!
http://www.facebook.com/XoXMartyrXoX Benji Rainbow Lake

Good. I hope she wins and sets an amazing precedent for other school districts.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2NXBQOE5G3BUMN6ONUFLVZPYI4 Mimi

the american solutio…lets sue and get money and that money will fix all our problems..please!!! there are many other things to do to help ur son then try to make quick money…I am 100% against bullying but this not the way to solve ur issues

http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Goulet/25704485 Brian Goulet

you’re not looking at the bigger picture. such a lawsuit draws national attention, and even if the woman loses, the school district will be forced to take action. if she wins, it will set a precedent for other parents of bullied children, having national ramifications. so yeah, it will solve issues. another way to look at it is winning will give them options, such as moving to a different school district, or even paying for private schooling.
http://www.facebook.com/thomas.locurto Thomas LoCurto

Incorrect – the American solution is to bring a case to court so that all of the evidence can be analyzed and and a ruling can be made. When there are monetary damages to the offender, it serves as impetus to for other entities to do things correctly, lest they end up in court as well.

http://www.facebook.com/rachel.sarpal Rachel Sarpal

LOL, you guys are ridiculous. Why don’t you people just see each other in person & fight this out since half of you are fighting over the issue since it’s so PERSONAL to you. Too much personal information is going on in this commentary section. This is an INFORMATIONAL article, not story time. Please be mature.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000086844262 Dylan Patrick-Gregory Couch

The most dangerous place to be in the entire world, is between a mother and her child.
Michele Bergh

Way to go! May she and her son find the resolve they deserve!!!!! Many schools claim to have a zero tolerance policy but their enforcement is weak at best. My daughter, in 7th grade, got in a fight with her best friend and that girl turned vicious at school and outside of school. I had documentation of the things that happened at school and my daughter’s counselor told my daughter to “just ignore it”. I told that counselor that was the dumbest advice I’d ever heard someone give a 13 year old girl. I pushed and pushed and got nowhere until I just stopped talking specific incidents and asked what the school’s policy is on bullying and then asked for the paperwork to file an official complaint. It stopped after that but the damage was done and we pulled her from that school. She no longer felt safe and everything was suffering because of it.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=503614157 Debbie Spensley

I was one who got bullied in my school days. I survived. Why? Cause I had a mom who got involved and made a fuss. I wish there was more like this mom. You Go Girl! No child should have to endure bulling. NONE.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Shine-Brite/100002777822098 Shine Brite

The most Dangerous place in the world??? Between a mother and her child…
I Support Mrs.Lazone any anyway that I can. This so Called Anti Bullying law is worthless..Because they do not enforce it.
http://www.facebook.com/rness2 Ryan Ness

I hope she wins. This school needs to be taught a lesson.

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