Oregon principal ousted for anti-gay bullying

NORTH BEND, Ore. (KGW) – After years of being called every bigoted slur in the book, shoved into restrooms, hit with a skateboard, driven at by a speeding truck and more, two Oregon teenagers can now say they successfully blew the whistle on systemic anti-gay harassment at their school.

And as a result the principal who, an investigation by the Oregon Department of Education found, made students read the Bible as punishment is leaving North Bend High School.

The School Resource Officer who, that same investigation found, told a girl she was going to Hell for being gay, is out, too.

And the North Bend School District has to pay $1,000 to a local gay rights advocacy group.

“I definitely think what we’ve done will make an impact,” said 19-year-old Hailey Smith, who graduated North Bend last year.

Smith and her then partner Olivia “Liv” Funk, in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, filed a complaint with the Oregon Department of Education about systemic, long-running harassment at the hands of students and staff.