SPLC to Host Free Screening of Bullied in Minneapolis

The Southern Poverty Law Center will present a free Minneapolis screening of the new Teaching Tolerance film Bullied: A Student, a School and a Case that Made History, Tuesday, Nov. 9 at Central Lutheran Church. SPLC Founder Morris Dees, President Richard Cohen and Jamie Nabozny, the student portrayed in the film, will speak at the event.

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010 – 7 p.m.
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis

[All seats for this event are filled]

Bullied chronicles the powerful story of a student from Ashland, Wis., Jamie Nabozny, who stood up to his anti-gay tormentors with a federal lawsuit. The suit led to a landmark decision that held school officials accountable for not stopping anti-gay bullying.

Despite that ruling, anti-LGBT bullying continues to be a severe problem. Today, more than 80% of LGBT students report being harassed at school - yet schools across the country are still unwilling or afraid to address anti-gay bullying openly.

Too many children have taken their own lives after enduring relentless bullying. In the Anoka-Hennepin school district near Minneapolis, for example, several LGBT students have committed suicide.

We know that nothing will change – and thousands more children will continue to suffer violence and humiliation – until schools confront the problem head-on. The Southern Poverty Law Center urges school districts to adopt policies that specifically address bullying based on sexual orientation and gender expression.

All children are entitled to a safe learning environment – one free from harassment and abuse.