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<blockquote>We have a student on campus who has chosen to express his ] by wearing make-up. It is his right to do so. Some kids are finding it amusing, others are bothered by it. As long as it does not cause classroom disruptions he is within his rights. We are asking that you talk to your students about being civil and non-judgmental. They don't have to like it but they need to give him his space. We are also asking you to watch for possible problems. If you wish to talk further about it please see me or Epstein.<ref name="Newsweek"/></blockquote> <blockquote>We have a student on campus who has chosen to express his ] by wearing make-up. It is his right to do so. Some kids are finding it amusing, others are bothered by it. As long as it does not cause classroom disruptions he is within his rights. We are asking that you talk to your students about being civil and non-judgmental. They don't have to like it but they need to give him his space. We are also asking you to watch for possible problems. If you wish to talk further about it please see me or Epstein.<ref name="Newsweek"/></blockquote>

However, by the time he met McInerney, King had started to use "his sexuality as a weapon" and was known to watch other boys as they were forced to undress for ] and tell them how attractive they looked.{{Fact|date=October 2008}} It was this sort of thing that motivated King to give McInerney a valentine.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}


McInerney's home life was also troubled, marked by ]. His mother Kendra pleaded no contest to being under the influence of a narcotic, and she had a record of ] use.<ref name="Newsweek"/><ref name="latimes3/8/2008"/> In 1993, Kendra alleged that her husband Bill shot her in the arm. In another incident, Bill McInerney pleaded no contest and served ten days in jail and 36 months' probation on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse after he choked his wife almost to unconsciousness after she accused him of stealing ADHD medication from her older son.<ref name="latimes2/14/08"/> Between 2000 and 2001, McInerney's father had contacted child protective services five times about concerns of the boy living with his mother.<ref name="latimes3/8/2008"/> In 2001, he filed a ] against Kendra, and by 2004 Brandon was living with his father as his mother had entered a ]. Brandon's grades began dropping, and he became disruptive at school.<ref name="Newsweek"/> McInerney's home life was also troubled, marked by ]. His mother Kendra pleaded no contest to being under the influence of a narcotic, and she had a record of ] use.<ref name="Newsweek"/><ref name="latimes3/8/2008"/> In 1993, Kendra alleged that her husband Bill shot her in the arm. In another incident, Bill McInerney pleaded no contest and served ten days in jail and 36 months' probation on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse after he choked his wife almost to unconsciousness after she accused him of stealing ADHD medication from her older son.<ref name="latimes2/14/08"/> Between 2000 and 2001, McInerney's father had contacted child protective services five times about concerns of the boy living with his mother.<ref name="latimes3/8/2008"/> In 2001, he filed a ] against Kendra, and by 2004 Brandon was living with his father as his mother had entered a ]. Brandon's grades began dropping, and he became disruptive at school.<ref name="Newsweek"/>

Revision as of 15:29, 4 October 2008


Lawrence "Larry" King, victim of the E.O. Green School shooting

The E.O. Green School shooting refers to the February 12, 2008, murder of Lawrence "Larry" Fobes King, a fifteen-year-old student at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California. He was shot and killed by fellow student, fourteen-year-old Brandon McInerney.

McInerney has been charged as an adult with premeditated murder with enhancements of use of a firearm and a hate crime; he is being held in lieu of $770,000 bail, and faces a sentence of 50 years to life if convicted.

Though the motive for the shooting remains under investigation, Newsweek described it as "the most prominent gay-bias crime since the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard", bringing attention to issues of gun violence as well as gender expression and sexual identity of teenagers.

Background

Larry King and Brandon McInerney both had tumultuous home lives. King (born January 13, 1993, at Ventura County Medical Center), was adopted at age two by Gregory and Dawn King. His biological father was absent, and his mother, a drug user, was allegedly failing to care for the infant properly. King was prescribed medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), and according to Gregory King, Larry had been diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder, a condition in which a child fails to fully bond with his or her caregivers. By the third grade, King began to be bullied by his fellow students due to his effeminacy and openness about being gay, having come out at ten years old and while in the third grade.

At the age of twelve, King was put on probation for theft and vandalism. In November of 2007, he was removed from his adoptive home and placed in a group home and treatment center named Casa Pacifica after he alleged that his foster father was physically abusing him, a charge Greg King denied.

The bullying continued when King transferred to E.O. Green School in the seventh grade, and intensified when he began showing up to school wearing women's accessories and clothing, high heels and makeup in January of 2008; King's younger brother Rocky also suffered bullying because of Larry's appearance. Legally, the school could not stop King from dressing as such because of a California hate crime law that prevents gender discrimination. The school issued a formal notice to every teacher on January 29 via email. Written by eighth-grade assistant principal Sue Parsons, it read, in part:

We have a student on campus who has chosen to express his sexuality by wearing make-up. It is his right to do so. Some kids are finding it amusing, others are bothered by it. As long as it does not cause classroom disruptions he is within his rights. We are asking that you talk to your students about being civil and non-judgmental. They don't have to like it but they need to give him his space. We are also asking you to watch for possible problems. If you wish to talk further about it please see me or Epstein.

However, by the time he met McInerney, King had started to use "his sexuality as a weapon" and was known to watch other boys as they were forced to undress for P.E. and tell them how attractive they looked. It was this sort of thing that motivated King to give McInerney a valentine.

McInerney's home life was also troubled, marked by domestic violence. His mother Kendra pleaded no contest to being under the influence of a narcotic, and she had a record of methamphetamine use. In 1993, Kendra alleged that her husband Bill shot her in the arm. In another incident, Bill McInerney pleaded no contest and served ten days in jail and 36 months' probation on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse after he choked his wife almost to unconsciousness after she accused him of stealing ADHD medication from her older son. Between 2000 and 2001, McInerney's father had contacted child protective services five times about concerns of the boy living with his mother. In 2001, he filed a restraining order against Kendra, and by 2004 Brandon was living with his father as his mother had entered a drug rehabilitation program. Brandon's grades began dropping, and he became disruptive at school.

Shooting

On the morning of February 12, 2008, McInerney was witnessed repeatedly looking at King during a class in a computer lab. At 8:15 a.m, McInerney shot King twice in the head using a handgun he took from his backpack. Following the shooting, McInerney tossed the gun on the floor and walked out of the classroom; he was apprehended by police about seven minutes later a few blocks from campus.

King was transported to St. John's Regional Medical Center where he was listed in serious condition. He was declared brain dead on February 13 but was kept on life support for two days so that his organs could be donated.

Since McInerney has refused to speak to investigators, the motive for the shooting remains unknown. According to Police Chief John Crombach, "It's pretty clear our suspect was focused on his victim and what he planned to do". In July 2008, Newsweek reported that a day or two before the shooting King asked McInerney to be his Valentine in front of McInerney's friends. When McInerney endured teasing because of the incident, he told one of King's friends to say goodbye "because she would never see again".

Response

Vigils and marches were organized across the United States following King's death. Sympathies for King have been expressed by numerous people including Judy Shepard, Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese, Senator Hillary Clinton and television host Ellen DeGeneres. A thousand students in the Hueneme School District, where E.O. Green is located, marched to pay tribute to King on February 16, 2008, four days after the shooting.

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an LGBT organization working to end bullying and harassment in schools regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, a California youth-driven gay rights organization, organized local vigils in memory of King. The Day of Silence for 2008, which is intended to protest LGBT harassment and occurred on April 25, was specially dedicated to King. Meanwhile, King's father, who is unconvinced he was gay, believes that his son sexually harassed McInerney, and has expressed concern that his son is being made a poster child for gay rights issues.

A new diversity education bill was introduced on behalf of King by California Assemblyperson Mike Eng, who said, "We need to teach young people that there's a curriculum called tolerance education that should be in every school. We should teach young people that diversity is not something to be assaulted, but diversity is something that needs to be embraced because diversity makes California the great state that it is." The bill would require mandatory classes on diversity and tolerance in California school districts.

Criticism of the school

In August 2008, King's family filed a claim against E.O. Green School at Ventura County Superior Court, alleging that the school's allowing King to wear makeup and feminine clothing was a factor leading to his death. According to the California Attorney General's Office, however, the school could not legally have stopped King from wearing girls' clothes because state law prevents gender discrimination.

According to a Newsweek article published on July 19, 2008, some teachers at E.O. Green also allege that assistant principal Joy Epstein was "encouraging King's flamboyance to help further an 'agenda'". When Epstein was later promoted to principal at another school, King's father described it as a "slap in the face of my family". The superintendent, Jerry Dannenberg, stated that the promotion was given because "she was the most qualified person for the new principal job".

Trial

As of February 2008, McInerney 's lawyer, William "Willie" Quest, was considering a change of venue. On July 24, 2008, Judge Douglas Daily, of Ventura County Superior Court, ruled that McInerney would stand trial as an adult, but the decision is being appealed.

On August 7, 2008, in the same court, McInerney pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder and a hate crime. A preliminary hearing was set for September 23, 2008, but has been rescheduled for October 14, 2008.

On September 23, 2008, the court appointed Willard Wiksell, a lawyer from Ventura, guardian ad litem for McInerney. Previously, McInerney's family took steps to fire his lawyer, William "Willie" Quest, of the Public Defenders Office and hire the United Defense Group, a criminal defense law firm from Los Angeles. However, the Public Defenders Office filed a petition stating that the United Defense Group might not have McInerney's best interests in mind. McInerney's father wants to hire the United Defense Group as well as attorney Robyn Bramson of North Hollywood to take over McInerney's defense. The guardian ad litem will insure that McInerney's best interests are being served during the legal proceedings. According to the judge, the Public Defender's Office still represents McInerney.

See also

References

  1. Saillant, Catherine (2008-02-15). "Oxnard school shooting called a [[hate crime]]". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-24. {{cite news}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (2008-07-19). "Young, Gay and Murdered". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Pringle, Paul, Salliant, Catherine (March 8, 2008). "A deadly clash of emotions before Oxnard shooting." Los Angeles Times p. A1.
  4. Cathcart, Rebecca (February 23, 2008). "Boy's Killing, Labeled a Hate Crime, Stuns a Town", The New York Times, p. 11.
  5. ^ Saillant, Catherine, Griggs, Gregory (February 14, 2008). "Student is declared brain dead; Lawrence King, 15, was shot and wounded at an Oxnard campus Tuesday. A classmate faces murder charge." Los Angeles Times. pg. B1.
  6. ""GaySoFla.com remembers Lawrence "Larry" King - A Young Hero"". Miami Herald. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-02-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. "Boy, 15, declared brain dead after school shooting," CNN
  8. "Organs harvested from Oxnard school shooting victim" San Jose Mercury News, February 15, 2008
  9. "Suspected school shooter's childhood marred by violence". Ventura County Star. 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. Saillant, Catherine (February 20, 2008). "Shooting sparks call for changes; At a meeting on an Oxnard campus, parents ask why the slaying of a student in a classroom wasn't prevented", Los Angeles Times. p. B1.
  11. ^ Saillant, Catherine (February 17, 2008). "1,000 gather in tribute to slain Oxnard teen; A march organized by students focuses on tolerance in the wake of the fatal shooting of an openly gay boy." Los Angeles Times, pB3.
  12. Wilson, Craig (March 11, 2008). "Mom's mission: Stop hate crime; Matthew Shepard Foundation toils to keep momentum", USA Today, p. 11B.
  13. "Slaying of Gay Oxnard Student Spurs Diversity Education Bill", Gay Wired, February 19, 2008
  14. Ellen DeGeneres: The Hate Must Stop - TV News, Ellen DeGeneres : People.com
  15. "Students from Record 7,500 K-12 Schools Registered for Today's National Day of Silence". 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  16. "Mike Eng announces tolerance-promoting Bill" (streaming video)
  17. Charman, Rachel (2008-08-15). "Family of Lawrence King blame death on school dress code". PinkNews.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  18. Ventura County Star - Change of venue in shooting considered
  19. Hernandez, Raul (2008). "Judge OKs adult trial for teen suspect". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2008-07-26. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Published: July 25, 2008
  20. ^ Wilson, Kathleen (2008). "McInerney pleads not guilty, lawyer calls charges 'death sentence'". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2008-08-12. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Published: August 8, 2008
  21. ^ Hernandez, Raul (2008). "Lawyer named as a guardian for McInerney". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2008-09-28. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Published: September 24, 2008
  22. Tokumatsu, Gordon (2008). "Oxnard School Shooting Suspect May Switch Attorneys". KNBC (NBC4 Los Angeles). Retrieved 2008-09-28. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Published: September 23, 2008

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