asked a judge to allow it to intervene in a lawsuit against an upstate New York school district that is alleged to have ignored vicious bullying of a gay student, Associated Press reports in a feature story that offers details of the case. In the lawsuit, the student, identified as “Jacob”, says the school’s teachers and administrators at the school in Mohawk, NY did nothing to stop relentless harassment, physical abuse, and threats of violence directed toward Jacob. Partly as a result of DOJ interest in the case, the school district and Jacob’s lawyers from New York Civil Liberties Union are said to be close to reaching a settlement in the case. “There is a growing recognition across the country that schools need to take harassment based on gender expression and homosexuality seriously,” said NYCLU attorney Corey Stoughton. “If there is a settlement in this case, that’s an affirmation of that principle.” LGBT advocates told AP that involvement of DOJ in the case is a sign of strengthened commitment under the Obama administration to the rights of people who are gay or who do not conform to gender stereotypes.