Girl sues over 'gay discrimination'

A 14-YEAR-OLD girl suspended from school for wearing a "Barbie is a Lesbian" T-shirt is suing education chiefs in the United States, claiming she was harassed because she is gay.

Natalie Young, from New York,

alleges she was singled out by school officials because of her sexuality.

A teacher laughed at her and called her top inappropriate in front of other pupils, before summoning the deputy head, who ordered her to change shirts.

The lawsuit claims the teen was "deprived of her liberty, deprived of her right to express herself and suffered emotional and psychological injury".

The suit alleges she suffered discrimination by school staff and her classmates.

Ms Young, who "came out" when she was 12, claims she was once made to remove rainbow-coloured hair beads that symbolised her lesbian pride and was told by a school counsellor that it was not normal to ask other girls out.

The suit, filed by her mother Kathleen Hodges, seeks damages from New York Department for Education and an order forcing the school to establish policies to protect gay pupils.