Looking Ahead After Bullying Lawsuit, Let's Stay Vigilant

Damian McGee-Backes got a big surprise on his first day at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley. "The kids in my classes asked me what lunch I had. Then they said, 'Sit by me.'" It's hard to blame Damian for being overjoyed by this simple gesture. The 15-year-old is one of six plaintiffs in the federal civil-rights lawsuit settled last week against the Anoka-Hennepin School District. The lawsuit argued successfully that the district did not adequately respond to constant physical and verbal harassment of students based on real or perceived sexual orientation.