A Natrona County High School student said Wednesday his fellow classmates and faculty were very supportive of him for making his claims of harassment known in a story in the Star-Tribune.

"I've been approached by a lot of faculty and students that have shown their support," said Patrick Davenport. The 17-year-old wrote a letter published in the Star-Tribune on Feb. 27 about sexual harassment at the school.

"They're offering that their doors always are open if I need to talk and that people do have my back on this issue," he said at the school Wednesday afternoon.

Davenport's letter alerted school officials to incidents of alleged sexual harassment and threats to openly gay students.

Other students told Davenport on Wednesday that some teachers had copied an article from that morning's Star-Tribune and had classroom discussions on the issue.

"I think it is good that they can discuss something like this is class even though it's so controversial, especially within the schools," said Davenport. He said he hopes this will heighten awareness and staff will begin to crack down on even random comments.

Davenport said he witnesses well over 100 derogatory remarks a day at the school.

NCHS journalism instructor Rod Mahaffey said when he hears such remarks, he acknowledges them and responds.

"My guess is things probably look a little different from his perspective than they do from mine," said Mahaffey.

"The expression, 'That's so gay,' for example, is part of the vocabulary. I certainly am cognizant of those kinds of remarks and don't let them slide by," Mahaffey said. "I would be surprised if other faculty in this building did, either, and that would be true of any other crimes of sexual harassment."

Assistant NCHS Principal Chris Bolender said she did not see a difference Wednesday from any other day at the school but hopes that the Challenger Program - a program that forces participants to evaluate their own and others' behavior - will benefit all the students.

"It's my hope that the numbers of kids who are harassing him will diminish," said Bolender.

"We're going to try our hardest to make it work because I think it has the potential to change our school - to change the way that kids look at each other and treat each other."