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What is so special about February 2008?

Illinois college shooter stopped medication:


police
'A VERY GOOD STUDENT‘
On February 15, 2008 - 5 college students were murdered, three of the
students who died were 20, one was 19 and one was 32.

• What do you know about the gender of the


perpetrator based solely on the headlines?
Other School Shootings…… February 12, 2008

Why Didn’t We Hear About This One?

Lawrence King,
Dead at 15

OXNARD, Calif. —  Prosecutors Brandon McInerney (14 yrs old)


on Thursday charged a 14-year- has been charged for
old boy with attempted murder premeditated hate crime. The
and said he committed a hate boy, although a minor, could
crime in the classroom shooting face up to 50 years to life in
of an eighth-grader who was prison and is currently being
declared brain dead. held on $770,000 bail.

Video coverage on last week’s shooting


What mainstream media didn’t say……

Prosecutors would not say why they


filed a hate-crime enhancement with
the attempted murder count, but
several classmates said the 15-year-
old victim, Lawrence King,
sometimes wore makeup, high heels
and other feminine attire.
What they said about Lawrence
–King had been receiving help
from school support staff,
Dannenberg said. He had no
details on the type of
assistance the teen needed.
–“He was seeing a number of
people trying to help him deal
with his own personal issues,”
he said.
Quotes in the Press about this Incident:

Several students at the south Oxnard campus said King and his alleged
assailant had a falling out stemming from King’s sexual orientation.
– The teenager sometimes wore feminine clothing and makeup, and
proclaimed he was gay, students said.

– “He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry


and painted nails — the whole thing,” said Michael Sweeney, 13, an
eighth-grader. “That was freaking the guys out.”

– Several students said that a day before the shooting, King and
several boys had some kind of altercation during the lunch period.
What they said about Brandon the
perpetrator
• Student Juan Sandoval, 14, said he shared a fourth-period algebra class
with the suspect, Brandon, whom he described as a calm, smart student
who played on the basketball team. “I didn’t think he was that kind of kid,”
Sandoval said. “I guess you never know. He made a big mistake.”

• The article reads: Kazmierczak “by all accounts that we can tell right now
was a very good student that the professors thought well of," school
president John Peters said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning
America.“

• "There is nothing in our system that he has had any counseling," he added.
"Motive is the one thing that we're trying to pin down at this point. I really at
this point have no sense of that. There is no note or threat that I know of.”
Discussion Questions
What issues seem to be masked by the media in this situation? Why do you think these issues were
not covered in mainstream press?

•What sort of pressures do boys, in particular, face during their middle and high school
experience? How do these differ from the pressures girls face? How are they similar? Can
these pressures lead to violence? Why does it seem to happen in some cases, and not in
others.

•Why do the media tend not to focus on the gender issue when boys, or men, are the
perpetrators?

•Why are the vast majority of school shootings perpetrated by boys?

•Why do you think there have been few, if any, such incidents involving girls who took up
arms against their classmates?

•If a girl, or group of girls, were the perpetrators in a school shooting, do you feel media
coverage would emphasize the fact that they were girls?

•If you were in charge, what would you do to reduce male violence in schools?

•What are some other social issues involving youth that were largely ignored when confined
to communities of color, but which became major national issues when young white people
were involved?
Middle School Hate Crime Murder
~ He would come to school in high-heeled boots... That was freaking the guys out. ~

Medical authorities announced Lawrence brain dead earlier this week; he was removed from life
support this morning.   The shooting, which has the classmate facing up to 50 years in prison,
appears caused by his hostility to King's wearing high-heels, makeup, and jewelry, and his being
gay. [Pictured: Young friend of Lawrence King is comforted during the aftermath of Tuesday's
shooting. Photo Credit: The Los Angeles Times]

 According to a   2007 GenderPAC report, 90% of  youth and young adults targeted in fatal
assaults because of their gender identity and expression were males who looked or acted
femininely.  One-third were teens.
 
On Tuesday, February 12, gun shots rang out near the end of a first period computer lab class
full of students.  Brandon McInerney, 14, who reportedly told peers that Lawrence was "having
his last day," had shot his classmate in the head and back. 
 
"[Lawrence] would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails --
the whole thing," said Michael Sweeney, 13, an eighth-grader. "That was freaking the guys out." 
Classmates reported that Lawrence was a frequent victim of teasing and harassment.  School
officials, who were aware of the teasing and had spoken with Lawrence before the shooting, are
now planning to review all of their policies.

Said GenderPAC Executive Director, Riki Wilchins, "This is a tragedy. More young people are
Other Gender/Sex Transgressors

Brandon Teena David Reimer


Transgender/Pre-op
Transsexual Sex reassignment due to “botched
circumcision”
Murdered: December 31,
1994 in Humboldt, Nebraska, Transitioned back to male, but
the “heart of the Midwest.” committed suicide: May 4, 2004 at
38 years old
Recent Institutionalization of Gender Norms.

•  North Cobb High School (Georgia)– told Jonathan


Escobar to dress more masculine after his first three
days. Jonathon’s regular attire: skinny jeans, a vintage
shirt and flats, with a touch of eye shadow and
mascara. (10/08/09)
• Morehouse all-male college in Atlanta, Georgia – no
“dress-wearing” policy added to its "Appropriate Attire
Policy.” (10/17/09)
• A focus on minority community (one of the oldest all black
colleges) to the detriment of the connotations of gender
transgressions.

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