Choosing to Become a Law Enforcement Officer

A career as a law enforcement officer can be very rewarding. Many people who look into law enforcement positions are people who are genuinely concerned with being of assistance to the public. They enjoy helping and making people feel safe. According to Caleb Laieski becoming a law enforcement officer means you must be a people person because there are many who depend on you.

When you choose to become an enforcement officer, you demand respect and take pride in making a difference in other people's lives. The training by earning this title is far from easy and normally only 1 out of 80 applicants make it completely through the testing process. This is a career you should absolutely be serious about before applying. You must be willing to commit and dedicate yourself to prepare, educating, getting yourself in excellent physical shape, making informed decisions, testing and improving your skills, communicate effectively, and learn to perform well under pressure. All these things will play extremely important parts in being selected for a law enforcement position, and you are being successful at it.

Many people have a false idea of what being a law enforcement officer is really like, and this normally comes from television programs that don't portray what it's like in the real world. So, when many apply, the assumption of an officer from their favorite television show is embedded in their head. Bottom line, consider visiting one of your local police stations and ask for a peek into the life of a law enforcement officer. Explain to them your plans of becoming one and how you want to know more about what it's like.

It's always good to contact specific branches you are interested in. This way you can decide if that branch is the right one for you. Some officers will allow you to ride along in some instances and even be happy to talk with you about their experiences as law enforcement. You can offer to volunteer at the agency and even check your local library or bookstore for guides that coach you on how to prepare for a life as an enforcement officer.

Stated by Caleb Laieski choosing this type of career can give you tremendous job security, because enforcement officers will always be in high demand. You have a variety of other positions you can consider after becoming an officer, so a company running out of work will never be an issue for you.

The salary for law enforcement officers can be very rewarding as well. Of course, different departments in different states have salary differences, but the average salary reported has been since 20,000-45,000 a year. There has even been some officers reporting with more experience and education, that they are doing well within 60,000-70,000 a year. The further you push yourself in your career, the higher your earning potential will be.

Teenage Suicide Prevention Tips By Caleb Laieski

Teenage suicide is a very big problem in this country. More than 132,000 kids aged 15-24 attempt suicide every single year. That's the combined undergraduate student population of over a dozen colleges attempting to kill themselves every year. But the problem doesn't end there. There are an additional 17,000 suicide attempts made every year by kids aged 10-14. To make that easier to comprehend, that's the entire student population of over 15 middle schools.

If you want to avoid coming home and finding your son or daughter dead, there are a number of things you can do. First and foremost, you need to learn all the potential suicide warning signs. If you don't know the warning signs, you won't know to be on alert, and won't be able to prevent the suicide attempt in time.

Almost all suicides will give some warning signs before attempting suicide. 75% will even give you a verbal warning. Unfortunately, it won't be as simple as "mom, I'm going to cut my wrists tomorrow", so if you don't know what to listen for, you will ignore that warning. And when you do, the child will get into their head that no one cares, and will go through with their suicide attempt --stated by Caleb Laieski.

Once you observe the suicide warning signs, and are certain that there is a problem, it's time to act. First and foremost, eliminate access to potential tools of suicide, such as firearms, poisons and access to medications. Without those, the person will be less likely to kill themselves. Firearms are the most important here, since these are the most fatal, and have the highest "success rate" for suicides.

Next, you need to offer your support and tell them that if they ever need someone to talk to, that you are available. Having the child vent about their troubles can tell you exactly what the cause for the suicidal thoughts is. Then you can go ahead and work on fixing them.

When you talk to the child, make sure to avoid any criticism. Just be supportive. Don't act distracted or act like you have better things to do, listen attentively and remain connected to the person.

If you've observed suicide warning signs, and think that the child is suicidal, it's best to speak up and talk to them about it (or get them to speak to a psychiatrist). Remember, you cannot make someone suicidal just by asking them straightforward, caring questions about their problems. It shows that you care and you can start helping them solve the problems without resorting to suicide and just giving the person an opportunity to express their feelings may prevent a suicide attempt. Make sure to describe specific behaviors/actions that worry you and let them know that their life is important to you and others.

There are also a number of things you can do to deal with the underlying cause of most suicides (depression). Just give them opportunities to succeed, and give them praise when they do. To facilitate this, get them involved in positive activities in school and the community. Help them get involved in sports and physical activities. These are great outlets for pent up anger, and being in better shape can really help raise the person's self-esteem. Essentially your goal should be to give the child something to live for and to let them experience positive feedback from people around them.

Learning the suicide warning signs is one of the best things you can do to prevent suicide by someone you love. If you even suspect that someone is depressed or worse yet suicidal, you need to learn all potential suicide warning signs, so you can act when you learn that they are at risk emphasized by Caleb Laieski.

Bars Urged to Allow Access to Self-Alcohol Testing Kits

National Advocate Caleb Laieski, who is a former 911 Dispatcher and someone that grew up with an alcoholic family member, has sent an email to over 10,000 state legislators throughout the country urging them to allow access to disposable self-alcohol test kits at local bars.

An average number of 1,500,000 people are charged with DUI per year, or that every 2-hours, three people are killed in alcohol-related highway crashes.

Laieski highlights in his email to over 10,000 state legislators throughout the country, that:

• There are several different breath test kits that are FDA approved. These tests cost $2-3 per tube, provide results in minutes, and detect a .08 or higher Breath Alcohol Content (BAC) level.

• Many states will hold bars responsible for injuries caused by drunk patrons and as highlighted in this letter, so many innocent people die due to intoxicated individuals thinking that they are fine, or just going “right around the corner.”

• Several bars have safe sex kits, but think how useful it would be if every bar allowed access to alcohol test kits. Think of how many innocent parents and children would be saved from drunk drivers.

“It is very important that we get as many drunk drivers off the road as possible, but the police cannot be everywhere, every second of the night” and "I have no doubt that making alcohol test kits available in bars would make a major impact and save many lives. It would be terrific to see something like this launched and introduced” said Laieski.

The Importance of Good Customer Service

Customer service can be defined as the provision of a service to the customers before, during and also after the purchase. These customer services can vary depending on the service, product, industry and also an individual customer. Customer services can also be used when the culture of the organization is being described. Any organization that values its customer and wants to provide good services to its customers will put its best effort in order to train the employees. Customer services help the customers to interact with the organization or the company as well.

These services are very vital and effective as they play a very important role in helping a company to generate additional income and revenue. These services must be included in the overall plan of the company in order. And, this could be the main reason according to Caleb Laieski that if a single customer service related decision is taken, it can help the company gain a positive perception in the minds of the customers. In the long run the satisfaction of the customers is something that can be extremely beneficial and in order to gain this satisfaction, the various customers related services must be implemented.

These services include client support as well. A support system means that the company will be assisting the customer in any way possible. Information like product, price, installation of the product, instructions for using the product, maintenance, upgrading as well as the disposal of the product can be covered under customer support services. As a client, it is essential to make proper use of these customer services. It will help you to utilize the product or the service to its maximum capability and in turn help you get a lot of value for the money you have already spent.

According to Caleb Laieski These services can be provided both automatically as well as manually. An automatic service includes internet websites that provide assistance on a 24*7 basis. The manual customer services include a person who assists the customer when he or she calls a particular number. These services are provided in the call centers, Telesales and other BPO centers. These manual customer services are also provided on a 24*7 basis and the customers can avail these services anytime they come across a problem with their product or service. The importance of such services can never be undermined and the success of a particular company or organization can be decided by the level of help it is giving to its clients.

The Importance of Public Safety

Public safety is a growing concern because of the dangers that currently pose to individuals as well as society. In every arena of public life, it is important to implement measures to ensure public security so that health and normal life is always maintained. Some threats are really severe, and after the September 11th attacks, the concern for public safety is now more than ever.

Every country has its own rules and regulations on how to maintain safety. However, the public has to be more aware now than otherwise because they are faced with a lot of danger from various corners and it is essential to be aware of what steps to take for protection in the event of an attack. The best way for people to be aware of public safety is to get assistance from workers. Professionals offers protection to people in the general public and also inform them on how to keep safe in the event of natural calamities that are likely to arise and also against thefts and other social problems that might be prevalent in the neighborhood in which they live.

It is to be noted that public safety is not limited to just professionals.It is also provided by medical workers who protect public security by addressing issues related to health care and epidemics. It is also offered by police officers, guards, and environmentalists. As a member of the public it is necessary to ensure that all precautions are in place in the event of a warning about an environmental disaster or attack from an external agency. It is further enhanced only when professionals and members of the general public cooperate to ensure that all systems of public security are in place and conditions laid down to maintain safety are followed in the right manner.

Steps to Mastering Professional Public Speaking

Often people start a professional public speaking as their second career option while others have a motive from beginning to start their career as the professional public speaker. But before this, when different cities fight together with each other to host their professional to improve the overall reputation of the event. The biggest question that arises is how you prove yourself to be an amazing speaker?

As to master in profession, public speaking, you have to mark few points according to Caleb Laieski in a manner to seek success in your life. Here are the following points provided by Caleb below such that you can mark your victory step by step while mastering in professional public speaking and make the crowd to listen to you:

Accessibility of shows

When you went out for a performance seek that every attendee is important and you must seek some way or the other that could provide access to others also, who were not present on the performance day. For those who are curious for the presentation of the speaker, therefore, there must be other written copies that should be distributed such that others could seek that.

Appear Platform regularly

You have to keep your all marketing up to date such that you could seek how you are going to sell out your next event. You also have to focus that your website should be strong, use up-to-date coding and graphics. Even more, you also have to stay updated with the latest technologies that were implemented in the events as well make sure that your marketing may reflect the technologies that were used.

Learning while exploring

According to Caleb Laieski, a good professional speaker has a depth knowledge of the topic which they are preparing for the speech. They had thought that each time they must update themselves with the topics by industry leaders, attending training and updating your topic with new information as you learn it. Being the best speaker one must work with vocal coaches, movement coaches and other experts refine their skills.

Work on your Pitch

Last but not the least as there are lots and lots of packets and email to the event coordinator, therefore it’s important to distinguish yourself from the crowd. You must possess the skill to present an elevator pitch to refine your definition. This will help you to make your own self-identity and transform into a better personality.

These were key points and steps of Caleb Laieski that could help you to keep some important points in your mind in the manner to make your speaking skill appreciable as well as stand in front of the crowd in a confident manner.

How To Choose The Best Fundraiser Idea

Organizing a fundraising project from your own fundraiser ideas is both rewarding as well as challenging. It is emotionally satisfying when you have successfully raised funds for a good cause. Money doesn't really matter in the end of every fundraiser; Thus given below are few idea that are provided by Caleb Laieski that you have helped your beneficiary in your own efforts that is most fulfilling.

Regardless of who your fundraising beneficiaries are, you need to make sure that your fundraiser ideas would be successful in the end. If you end up a failure, how are you going to make it up to your beneficiaries who are relying on your efforts in order for their activities to continue? There are thousands of ideas out there that you can always try but of course, you don't have the luxury of trying out each and every one of them just to find what suits you best. You need to choose the right fundraiser with the least chance of ending up a failure. Choose a fundraising idea that is rather simple than complicated, especially if you are new on these things. Even the simplest fundraiser could generate more than enough funds for you if done right.

You also need to look out for past fundraising activities in your area so that you can be sure that nobody else has already done your ideas. Uniqueness is one of the keys in making sure your fundraising campaign is profitable. If you are going to organize the same fundraiser in the same area, chances are people will not support you. Make sure that your fundraising activities are not only unique; they must be appealing and interesting as well in order to encourage people to join your events. I'm not saying that you should always come up with something unique every time you organize a fundraiser. These were the few points provided by Caleb Laieski, you can also use fundraising ideas which proved to be successful in the past. Just make sure that you won't copy every bit of that fundraiser and only use it as a basis.

If you are still confused about what kind of ideas you are going to incorporate in your fundraiser, why not seek the help of a professional fundraising company? Nowadays, fundraising activities are much easier to organize since you can always ask the assistance of these companies. These people are very knowledgeable and quite experienced in the fundraising industry. These companies can also offer effective, profitable and inexpensive fundraising products aside from giving you support. This is very advantageous to you since you don't have to worry how you are going to incorporate their assistance with your products. They will be the ones that will provide with effective sales brochures to help your sales volunteers as well, providing with basic knowledge on how to properly sell your products. Also, if you are going to order in bulk product packages you can get a huge discount that will be very good on your overall financial income. Some fundraiser companies even offer free freight charges for their clients. Fundraising companies make a fundraiser easy to organize and very profitable.

Caleb Laieski on QTalk Arizona

Caleb Laieski is only 16 but he has accomplished a lot in the past few years: from founding his own organization, to helping change policies in his former school district to protect LGBT youth from bullying, from making national headlines, to being the Youth Grand Marshal at the Phoenix Pride celebration, to attending a conference at the White House, to lobbying on the Hill, and even meeting the President and Vice-President of the United States.

The most exciting thing I did my sophomore year of high school was build a float for Homecoming and make friends with the Goth kids.

Today on QTalk Arizona Caleb tells his story of what started him on a journey that would change his life.  After being terribly bullied with physical violence and death threats at school he starting to report harassment to the administration but they and the district were not interested in helping him.  After that, he sued the district with the help of the ACLU.  Even though the case was eventually dropped, sexual orientation became protected under the district’s policies.

His philosophy of self-confidence leading to action is inspiring and timely not to mention wise beyond his years. Even as a 13-year old he had the courage to speak up and defend justice and equality.

Listen as Caleb Laieski talks about how his life has changed and what other LGBT youth can do to make a difference in their own lives, schools and communities — just like Caleb has done.  We hope that many LGBT youth will be listening to this show as it’s important to get Caleb’s message out to as many people as possible.

Original Posted... http://jsethanderson.com/2011/07/11/caleb-laieski-on-qtalk-arizona/

Battling the Blood Ban

Caleb Laieski, a Virginia resident and LGBT rights advocate who rose to prominence after speaking out against the anti-gay bullying that forced him to leave school when he had lived in Arizona, announced Thursday he had filed a lawsuit in the United State District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ban on allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood or organs.

The ban, implemented in 1985, has its roots in the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s when men who have sex with men (MSM) were the primary victims HIV/AIDS, and the disease was found to potentially be transmitted through blood transfusions. Under the policy, any man who has engaged in sex with other men since 1977 is “deferred,” meaning the donor could potentially be found to be eligible to donate blood or tissue for organ transplants at a later date, though for an indefinite amount of time. Over the years, several LGBT activist groups have called for the FDA to alter its policy of indefinite deferrals for MSM who wish to become donors. In 2010, the D.C. Council passed a resolution calling on the FDA to “reverse the lifetime deferment of blood donations by men who have had sex with men since 1977 in favor of a policy that protects the safety and integrity of the blood supply that is based on up-to-date scientific criteria.”

In his lawsuit, Caleb Laieski alleges that the ban targets a single class of citizens, violating their constitutional rights, fails to protect sick families, and violates medical and donor privacy by forcing them to disclose same-sex encounters and medical history in order to be able to donate — something not required of heterosexual donors.

AccordinfNoting that the ban was implemented when little was known about HIV/AIDS, Laieski says the ban has affected him and other gay and bisexual men throughout the country who want to donate blood to help save sick people’s lives. According to facts provided by Laieski, nearly 912,000 people are on a waiting list for organ donations, and a recent study showed that hospitals do not have access to nearly 219,000 pints of blood because of the restrictions imposed by the ban. Laieski cites a study by the American Red Cross that estimates lifting the ban could help save the lives of up to 1.8 million people. He further notes that medical technology and screening have allowed hospitals to more accurately test blood and tissue for the presence of HIV and other viruses, making the ban unnecessary as all blood must be screened for safety purposes.

“Where the defendant may debate that the ban is to protect the public or ensure that blood is safe, the defendant currently tests all blood to make sure it is safe, so their ban is not necessary. It is an outdated and discriminatory ban that is putting lives and our health care at jeopardy,” Laieski said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. 

Regarding the claim that the ban unfairly targets a single class of citizens, Laieski cites the Supreme Court’s findings in major LGBT rights cases such as Romer v. Evans, Lawrence v. Texas, and United States v. Windsor that found that the government could not single out a select group for discrimination, in this case, due to potential donors’ sexual orientation. He also argues that the ban violates the 14th Amendment rights of those sick people who would benefit from the ban’s repeal and that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs, in that blood donations, are accepted by federally funded programs, hospitals, and organizations. He also notes that former Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius previously acknowledged that the ongoing ban promoted discrimination and stereotypes against gay and bisexual men. 

“The defendant’s policy focuses on sexual orientation, rather than the actual risk and science,” Caleb Laieski says in concluding his argument for why he is bringing the lawsuit.

Original Posted   ... http://www.metroweekly.com/2014/10/battling-the-blood-ban-2/

Gay Teen Claims Discrimination at School

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- A Valley teen says he's been getting death threats because he's gay. Now, he wants his school district to do something about it.

"Well, you basically wake up in the morning and you know you're going to be teased, harassed," said Caleb Laieski, a 15-year-old from Surprise.

The last few years haven't been easy for him, ever since he came out of the closet in eighth grade.

"High school -- it got really bad, I started to receive death threats in school, out of school," he said.

During his freshman year at Willow Canyon High School, Laieski says on days it got really bad he had no choice but to leave campus altogether.
 

"I walked home, I just walked out those gates, I said, 'Too bad, I'm not being protected by administration, and I'm being treated poorly by students, and I have to do what's safe for myself.'"

Laieski said he reported the harassment to all levels of the administration from the assistant principal all the way up to Dysart Unified School District officials. But he claims little action was taken.

"All they did was talk with the student, and I think they should have at least showed they mean business on the matter," Laieski said. "If nothing else, even a lunch detention to say that the administration is really serious about the matter."

Caleb Laieski decided to take matters into his own hands, convincing the ACLU of Arizona to take up his case, and threatening to file a lawsuit against the school district.

Officials from the Dysart Unified School District declined to speak specifically on Laieski’s case because of privacy policies. But in a prepared statement, they said: "The Dysart Unified School District has policies in place that prohibit illegal discrimination and harassment as well as bullying... The implementation of the policies and practices are proven to be prompt and effective when utilized by a student."

Despite that, Laieski says nobody’s gotten in trouble for what he claims they’ve done to him.

"I really want to see they mean business for all LGBT students," he said.

Specifically, he wants the district to make a change in their student handbook. The handbook currently defines hate speech as "any communication that manifests malice towards others based on their race, gender or identity." Laieski wants that definition to be amended to include sexual orientation.

Amidst his frustration over the bullying and harassment, Laieski formed his own grassroots organization: Gays and Lesbians United against Discrimination (http://gluad.org).

He's also working with the ACLU to help pass a federal law known as the Student Non-discrimination Act of 2010.

Original Posted... http://www.azfamily.com/story/28324533/gay-teen-claims-discrimination-at-school

Human Rights in US

Among the industrial nations, the United States is unique in many ways. The capitalist economics of the United States that promotes free trade, private ownership, laissez-faire, consumerism, individualism and claims for welfare is the source of paradoxes. It is long that commentators are criticizing the condition of the health care. The last of them is the American documentary director, Michael Moore with his fabulous "Sicko". In it, he analyzes like a physician the ill health care of his country.

According to Caleb Laieski pharmaceutical products are a large part of a nation's health care. Health Care, respectively, is a major component in promoting the justice, as a Human Rights credo in a society. One of the realms in which the US should manage to make reformation, thus, is the health care provisions and policies.

Health Care in the US 

The present feather on the US cap regarding health care are the two programs of Medicare and Medicaid which are in their own turns under criticism.

The public health care debates began somewhere around the beginning of the 20th century. During the century of efforts that would ultimately determine the fate of the condition, all American presidents were assumed to be advocates of national health care. But, as the present conditions reveal, each time there was an obstacle in the way. FDR, for example, left it high and dry lest the Social Security plan be blocked and doomed. The advent of the cold war decrepitated it as the "socialized medicine". However, the 40s and 50s were the summits of the movement of the public health care as a more serious program. A system then, unique among industrial nations, America, in the 1950s had a health care system that was tied to employment. Of course, there were inefficiencies in such a system to that suffering low-income, women, and the agrarians and workers in the remote areas.

Kennedy and Johnson, also, were advocates of the program but they were limited by the votes of the republican congress. Finally, when the congress turned to democrats, the Medicare and Medicaid programs were passed. And most disastrous was the Watergate which abandoned the promised national health care by President Nixon for another run. Then, "instead of producing medical care and related services itself, the government chose- as it usually did in America- to rely on the market. ... Government production of medical care diminished as government funding increased and health care was outsourced to private providers.

"From 1972 to 1994, the population improved from 18 to 35 million. In the same years, the costs of the program soared from $8 billion to &144 billion... and by 1980s, Medicaid often was the largest program in state budgets, and by the 1990s it cost governors six times as much as AFDC. From this point, price cutting began. Underneath President Reagan, the Prospective payment system decreased the radius of the umbrella. "As in the familiar master narrative of policy reform, policy makers judged their success by the lower numbers and paid little attention to the consequences for patients or clients."(ibid: 264) this led to the 20 percent decrease of Medicare during the 80s. At this very historical point, the business interests began exploiting the profitable healthcare as a new industry. Katz says that in the 80s, the number of investors in health services was one-fourth of the totals.

According to Caleb Laieski the New Deal of President Clinton, The President Health Security Plan, was a final attempt to rescue the health care, but it failed. He observed that almost 37 employees worked without the usual employer's coverage because they worked for small employers who didn't carry insurance. Those with insurance worried about their situation in the case of losing their jobs. The policy of the Clinton committee on the reform was not to follow the excellent model of other industrialized nations, but to create a distinguished one for the sake of uniqueness. This is known as the managing competition which is considered as the reason for the defeat of the reform.

Intellectual Property

IP, Intellectual Property, is a kind of patent regulated as the legal protection of the technological products for the companies or individuals that are the investors and inventors of it.

The issue that is the concern of this paper is the influence of such laws, and specifically, this law on the welfare consumers, people, in the United States. Data released in 2004 by the Census Bureau show that "the number of uninsured Americans erected at 45.8 million in 2004, the percentage of people without health insurance has been 15.7 percent in 2004.

The current stated United States policy on intellectual property, whose main focus is on preserving its unparalleled strength in economic, political and military affairs, therefore raises particular concerns. That is "the United States policy, by focusing exclusively on the rights of its export industries, may lead to very restrictive interpretations of the flexibilities contained in the international agreements, to the detriment of public health needs. On the other hand, the domestic implications of the acts and the policy should not be ignored.

Gay Litchfield Park student seeks help from Surprise-based group for bullying issues

Many children are teased, but imagine being verbally harassed on a daily basis in middle school.

A Wigwam Creek Middle School student says that's what happened to him because he is gay. His classmates wrote gay slurs on his Facebook page. He was targeted in the cafeteria, on the playground and in class. He's afraid to ride the bus.

The excelling student let his grades slip and after the torment was too much to handle, wrote a suicide note.

But instead of following through, he sought help. The middle-school student and his parents, who The Republic is not identifying to protect the child's identity, met with administrators and counselors. The bullies got detention, but things didn't get better, said the family.

That's when the student contacted Gays and Lesbians United against Discrimination, a Surprise-based organization founded by 16-year-old Caleb Laieski.

His mission is to make sure students get the protection "all students deserve," he said.

Half of all students admit they bullied someone in the past year, and about 47 percent say they were bullied, teased or taunted in a way that seriously upset them, according to a 2010 study by the Josephson Institute of Ethics.

About 85 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students reported being harassed at school, according to a survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. School officials said there are several programs on campus to stop bullying, and they try to stop verbal and physical harassment.

The district superintendent is researching the possibility of a language to its policy specifically prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Reaching out to the school

Laieski said the middle-school boy sought him out on Facebook and asked for help on March 18 after the child was Cyber Bullied. Three days later, Laieski sent a letter on behalf of the student to top administrators at Litchfield Elementary School District and Wigwam Creek.

Laieski wrote that administrators are "failing to intervene" when the child is bullied and they "are not providing adequate discipline to deter or put an end to" the bullying.

He asked for the school and district to increase staff training, involve students in bullying prevention and change the district's anti-discrimination policy to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The school and district said administrators responded to the letter immediately. Wigwam counselor Cyndee Head said she spoke with the boy after the letter was sent and Superintendent Julianne Lein said the issue is resolved.

"We addressed it as soon as we received the e-mail. We did speak with the student and their parents," Lein said. "It was my understanding that the parents did not support the organization contacting the district. However, the disagreement between the two students, it occurred on Facebook and was resolved."

The boy's parents said they support the letter and organization.

"The day the letter went out is the day my son came out pretty much. Caleb has been a blessing in our lives and I am thankful that he reached out to my son," the mother said.

"If it wasn't for Caleb, I don't know where things would be. I think it's terrible that the administration says we don't support his organization."

School officials decline to comment on specifics, including action taken on the cyber-bullying incident, but Wigwam Creek Principal Dave Mayer said the school does not "condone cyber bullying, physical bullying, or verbal harassment."

The school teaches students about character and citizenship and provides several anti-bullying programs on campus, he said.

Bullying didn't stop

Mayer initially said the school officials didn't know about the student's bullying problems.

"We try to be proactive. We were unaware of what was even occurring," Mayer said. "So in the e-mail when he (Caleb Laieski) said it was happening numerous times and nothing was being done, that's totally inaccurate, because they (the family) never said a thing."

In a later interview, Mayer said the family talked to the advisors about bullying.

"They have dealt with issues on that. They talked with other kids involved in some of these incidents. They talked to other parents of the kids involved," he said. "I particularly, I haven't. But my staff has."

The boy's mother said the family has met with counselors and the assistant principal about the suicide note, declining grades and bullying.

The boy said he hoped the bullying would stop after Laieski sent the letter. But it hasn't. He said it's a daily struggle on campus.

Mayer said the school staff tries to be vigilant but needs students' help in stopping bullying at the 900-student campus.

Lein, the superintendent, said she will research changing the district's discrimination policy to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity "and its appropriateness for elementary schools." Laeski said adding those specific protections is important.

"We're asking that they protect sexual orientation because as long as we have those protections on the books, then we can make sure that all students are safe under the book. Then it's a matter of intervention," he said.

Source by:  http://archive.azcentral.com/community/surprise/articles/20110418litchfield-park-gay-student-bullying.html#ixzz4QRj82PUV