Originally posted by Leoryn
Hell, I think it is now time that I interjected this little gem of an article which fits so well into this conversation.

That's so Gay
Frankly, the school's failure to protect the girl against ACTUAL bullying from her classmates is far more serious than her ignorant usage of "gay" as an insult. They seem more interested in symbolic acts of support for minorities than they are in preserving a safe nurturing learning environment.

That said, I think it is important to bear in mind this statement from the article:

"It bothers them a lot," Byard said. "As odd or funny as the phrase sounds, imagine what it feels like to be in a setting where you consistently hear it used to describe something undesirable or stupid, and it also refers to you."
This is a very important point, and I do not think kids should be allowed to use gay as an insult in school. I don't think getting a warning from the principal and a note in her file was an unreasonable punishment. However, the kids who were bullying her should have probably gotten detention at least, and yet they got no punishment at all.