[timm22]

Well, I don't think I'd have cared enough one way or the other to say anything. But, I could certainly understand a little good-natured teasing directed at someone like that.

"Nice ears, bunny boy" would be okay.

"Take those off you fag or I'll break your nose" would not be okay.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I wouldn't have a problem with either statement if you left off the break your nose part. It is written into our natures to set social norms and those who step outside of those norms get flack. This can be used for good or bad, but the fact that that is the way life works is just something you will never teach out of people. Heck, the fashion and advertising industries make billions of dollars exploiting that human trait. Why expect kids to have no social standards they hold everyone to?

What if he wore a white hood like a KKK member. Would a statement like "Take that off you racist bigot or I'll remove it for you," be okay with you? Granted the last part is borderline. Let's say the comment was, "Take that off or I'll break your nose." Even with that statement you would certainly make sure the kids understood that racism was wrong as well as threats of violence. Or I would hope that's what you would do. And I bet you wouldn't rank the wrongs.

[Marie2]

“Nice ears, bunny boy” would be okay.

“Take those off you fag or I’ll break your nose” would not be okay.”

I’m with you, it’s a question of degree. It is ridiculous to try to squash all teasing. It’s basic human communication. It is often friendly, helps broach differences, and even serves to correct bad or strange behavior. You just can’t let it go too far. It’s not something you can put in a manual, which is probably why the Public School Authorities have no idea how to handle it.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Okay let's say a guy comes to school in this:

LOL!