Bullied starts with a dedication to Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, who hung himself at age 11 when people at school bullied him by repeatedly calling him gay.
And then Jamie Nabonzy’s story begins with a reenactment of the moment when Jamie, his family, and his defense team were called into the courtroom to hear the findings of the jury concerning his lawsuit against the Ashland, Wisconsin School District and various administrators who worked there. In this landmark case Jamie, defended by the Lambda Legal Defense Education Fund, won the first lawsuit ever presented concerning gay bashing suffered within a school setting. The rest of the film goes back in time in order to outline Jamie’s abuse from students in both middle and high school, the reaction of the administration, his attempted suicide, running away to Minneapolis twice, and finally the trial: all through reenactments, interviews, and through Jamie’s own words speaking sometimes to the movie audience and alternately to an auditorium of high school students as an inspirational speaker.
Finally, it is revealed that the administrators were found guilty, and while the school was not found liable, Ashland School District settled the case for $900,000, which sent a message to gay students throughout the country that they deserve an appropriate education without the threat of harassment. Nabonzy summed up his experience with the lawsuit by stating, “I fought back for all the kids who couldn’t fight back.”
Bullied includes a viewer’s guide containing tools for educators who work with school staff or within the classroom, as well as further resources. The film has closed captioning and contains Spanish subtitles. Additional resources can be found online at the website. This film is appropriate for schools and non-profit organizations targeting audiences, including middle, high school, and college students, their parents, and school personnel.
Reviewed by, Sharon Flesher-Duffy
Media Specialist
Nashua High School South, NH
