NY federal appeals court: $1M not an excessive award for high school racial harassment
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A $1 million award that's one of the biggest ever issued for racial harassment in high school has been upheld by a New York court.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Monday it was fair for a jury to conclude a school district should've done more to stop demeaning, threatening and violent conduct directed at Anthony Zeno (ZEE'-noh), a former student at Stissing Mountain High School in Dutchess County.
The appeals court's opinion notes the 23-year-old Zeno is "dark-skinned and biracial, half-white, half-Latino." It says he was "menaced" at a school where minorities represented less than 5 percent of the student population. It says the Pine Plains Central School District knew Zeno was called numerous racial slurs.
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Zeno's lawyer praises the ruling. Lawyers for the school district haven't returned a call seeking comment.