Civil rights and civil wrongs Posted: November 25, 2011 11:02 pm Eastern A little boy is dead.

Another is in prison for the next 21 years. Why? Because of social engineering in Southern California schools. The story begins with a confused child named Larry King. For whatever reasons, the 14-year-old was acting up by dressing in girls' clothing, wearing makeup and flirting aggressively with other young boys in his junior high school in Oxnard. Not surprisingly to anyone outside of the school district, this behavior made other students very uncomfortable and subjected Larry King to verbal abuse and even threats. His mother was concerned about his well-being and safety. She begged school officials to help her set some boundaries for her son. Dawn King said she contacted school officials to solicit their cooperation in getting her son to tone down his behavior. Two months earlier, Larry King was taken from his parents because of domestic problems. Instead of recognizing the danger looming for Larry and the level of discomfort other students would be experiencing as a result of his behavior, Mrs. King was told by school officials that her son had a civil right to explore his sexual identity. "I knew, gut instinct, that something serious was going to happen," she said. "They should have contained him, contained his behavior." Four days later, Brandon McInerney, then 14, shot Larry twice in the head in a classroom, killing him. McInerney was sentenced this week to 21 years in prison. He will be there until he is 38. Prior to the shooting, school administrators sent a memo advising teachers to leave King alone, but to report safety problems. Teachers at the trial testified that when they tried to report growing tensions between King and several boys, school leaders shunned them. Assistant Principal Joy Epstein has come under criticism for allegedly being more intent on protecting King's "civil rights" than in acknowledging that his dress and behavior were causing problems. "It was reported, more than once, by more than one person,'' said English teacher Dawn Boldrin. "It was documented. There is paperwork on this. She kept saying that she didn't know and she did. She knew. She did. Everybody knew." In the aftermath of this wholly preventable tragedy, Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, said in a statement the plea agreement ends a tragic chapter: "Ventura County along with communities and school districts everywhere must come together to promote a culture of respect and nurture the true potential found in every individual regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."