US court upholds $1 million for Latino student harassed in NY high school

[jsr]

http://www.theindependent.com/news/national/ny-court-oks-m-school-racial-harassment-award/article_a4bdd396-59fb-5ab7-8d15-9859dd8b3ac8.html

NY court OKs $1M school racial harassment award
Associated Press

One of the biggest awards ever issued for racial harassment in high school - $1 million - was upheld Monday by a federal appeals panel that said it was fair for a jury to conclude a school district should have done more to stop demeaning, threatening and violent conduct directed at a student.

The decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan left in place the award for Anthony Zeno, a former student at Stissing Mountain High School in Dutchess County. The award had been reduced from the $1.25 million a jury originally awarded the now 23-year-old haircutter during a 2010 trial. The appeals court said the award wasn't unreasonable given that payouts for harassment in similar cases have ranged from the low six figures to $1 million in one other instance.

The appeals court's opinion noted that Zeno is "dark-skinned and biracial, half-white, half-Latino." It said he "had been menaced, threatened and taunted" at a school where minorities represented less than 5 percent of the student population.

"He endured numerous serious - and sometimes life threatening - incidents of harassment," it said.

[vaberella]

1. Republicans told me racism was dead. n/t

[rhett o rick]

3. Yeah, so? Republicans lie. Bush told us there were WMD in Iraq. Only the Dems in Congress believed

him. I tried to tell Sen Cantwell, "Republicans lie. Bush is a Republican therefore he lies." She groveled before him and kissed his ass anywayz. Now she has 1,000,000 dead Iraqis on her conscience. She will have some 'splaining to do when she meets her maker.

[rhett o rick]

2. I dont mind the award except it is only punishing the taxpayers. nm