They have gotten much better I am happy to report--that's why I caveated it by saying I went in '91. :)
HolgerDansk, this is addressed to you. Look, I am not saying what the teacher did was OK. However, if I got Mono right now and people started calling me a whore (I am a male so this is not likely.) I would laugh in their face.
If my sister got mono and someone told me she was a slut, I would tell them to shut up or I would slap them upside the head. It wouldn't cross my mind to sue them.
What makes so many Americans think that gossip should be a government matter? I know slander and libel are illegal but do we really want to target gossip with lawsuits. Our society has become so sissified and everyone is encouraged to sue if their feelings are hurt.
That's about all I have on this subject.
Arioch7 out!