I was maddened to learn about Alex Merritt's story this week. I was even more angry reading about "a system that generally works" and how Alex Merritt's story is "rare" (Star Tribune, Aug. 14).I was sexually harassed just like Alex for all of seventh grade. The students said I stuff my bra, they told me I liked girls, they told me I was a transvestite. Sometimes teachers would join in and laugh. When I finally got up the nerve to tell someone, I had actually started believing I was a lesbian.The school counselor told the bullies to say that they were sorry. I didn't forgive them and on telling them that, one of the bullies told me that "God wouldn't accept me in to Heaven." I was sexually confused for two years after that, not sure if I was gay or straight, not sure if I could ever be loved. I still have self-confidence issues to this day and sometimes the taunting still comes back to me. Not to mention my faith was down the toilet after the last comment.I am glad Alex Merritt reported it to people outside of the school. I hope these stories cause more teachers to stand up for students and not join in because it is very traumatic and you will never forget it when it happens to you. HANNAH DANIELS, PLYMOUTH

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Teachers need to be role models for students and are supposed to educate them on how to treat other people. The teachers in the story taught this student's classmates that it is OK to mistreat and verbally assault a person because they are perceived as different.They should be fired and never allowed to educate students again. NICK PETERSON, PINE CITY, MINN.

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In regard to the front-page article, over 74 column inches, concerning the settled brouhaha in the Anoka-Hennepin School District: Shouldn't the headline read: " 'Sorry" -- and $25,000 -- doesn't ease his pain"? And shouldn't mandated sensitivity training also include those who are oversensitive? JEFF HATFIELD, RICHFIELD

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I find it hard to believe in 2009 that a student, gay or not, was harassed in this manner. I would not want my children to be taught by either of these teachers. I question the judgment of the Anoka-Hennepin School District in its handling of such a serious event.Events like this makes it easy to understand why young gay students have a high suicide rate; they often have been subjected to this type of behavior and feel like they have no one to help them. GERALD D. WOLDT, MINNEAPOLIS