GLSEN Statement on California School Shooting of Gay Middle School Student

An Oxnard (Calif.) middle school student, reportedly the victim of bullying based on his sexual orientation and gender expression, was shot in school on Tuesday and pronounced brain dead on Wednesday afternoon. The suspected shooter and the eighth-grade student were classmates at E.O. Green School and reportedly had gotten into an argument on Monday.

While the motive for the shooting is still unknown, friends of the victim said he was a frequent target of bullying because he sometimes wore makeup and jewelry and had told classmates he is gay.

“This incident of senseless violence is truly horrifying, and our hearts go out to the family and the E.O. Green School community,” GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings said. “As the authorities and the community piece together an understanding of this tragedy, they must consider the role that anti-LGBT bullying and harassment may have played in it.

“We know that this student was a repeated target of classmates based on his sexual orientation and gender expression, and we know that such harassment can escalate to greater acts of violence. It is long past time to start addressing anti-LGBT bullying and harassment directly, and to start naming this problem, which threatens the safety of all students in school.”

About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN’s educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs, research, public education or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.