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Teacher 'Dealt With' After Allegedly Calling Gay Student A Sinner

RIVERSIDE (CBS) — A teacher at a Riverside County high school accused of singling out a student for supporting gay rights has been "dealt with", according to district officials.

The complaint, dated Oct. 14, alleges a Paloma Valley High School teacher drew an "S" on the hand of a student wearing a "Gay is Good" T-shirt and reportedly referred several times to the student as a sinner.

Students and other staff members eventually reported the incident to Paloma Valley administrators, the school board and the ACLU.

A spokeswoman for the Perris Union High School District said officials take the charges "very, very seriously,"

The complaint was subsequently investigated and "based on our findings, we have dealt with the employee," said Leslie Ventuleth, the district's chief human resources officer.

The identities of both the student and teacher involved in the complaint have not been made public.

Other openly gay and lesbian students have complained of a pattern of harassment and discrimination at the school.

Recent allegations range from a move to prohibit announcements about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender History Month to fights over gay slurs that one student says constitutes a "hate crime".

The ACLU reportedly began an investigation back in December into what they say is a "homophobic environment" at Paloma Valley.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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