Bullying Suit Against Poway District Upheld

SAN DIEGO -- A $300,000 judgment against the Poway Unified School District for not protecting two Poway High School students who were bullied because they were gay and lesbian was upheld Friday by an appeals court in San Diego.

The 4th District Court of Appeals upheld the jury's award to Megan Donovan and Joey Ramelli under the state education code.

"We're pleased the court today recognized that every student has a right to feel safe and protected at school," said Brian Chase, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs from Lambda Legal.

"Unfortunately, what happened to Megan and Joey is far from uncommon," Chase said. "We hope this lawsuit and the attention it has generated will remind school officials everywhere that parents expect their kids to be safe from bullying and violence during school hours."

"We're disappointed in the result," said Jeff Morris, one of the attorneys who represented the Poway Unified School District in the lawsuit.

Morris said he was still reviewing the 79-page ruling and expects to discuss the matter with district officials at the earliest possible date.

Over the course of their junior year, students constantly verbally abused Ramelli and Donovan with anti-gay slurs, and Ramelli was physically assaulted and his car vandalized, according to the lawsuit.

Both students eventually dropped out of Poway High and completed their studies at home.

"I was physically attacked and even had threats on my life," Ramelli said. "I begged school officials for help, but they just didn't care. No student anywhere should have to go through what I did. For me, my whole experience at Poway was just three years of my life I'd love to forget."