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Loading ...ACLU sues ‘Rent’-canceling high school
03.19.2009 4:17pm EDT
(Newport Beach, California) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit against Corona del Mar High School, accusing officials of fostering a homophobic and sexist atmosphere.
The lawsuit cites the cancellation of a student production of “Rent” over its gay characters and a Facebook video in which football players at the school threaten a female student.Court papers filed by the ACLU in Orange County Superior Court run 36 pages, claiming discrimination at the school violates federal and state equal protection provisions.
“School and district officials, through their action and inaction, have not only failed to take steps to address this hostile environment, but they have contributed to it and given sanction to it,” the suit alleges.
The Newport-Mesa Unified School District said the lawsuit contains factual errors.
In the video three members of the football team threaten to rape and kill the teenage girl. The ACLU claims the school did little to punish the teen player or to protect the girl – even after her parents repeatedly expressed concerns about her safety.
In February, drama advisor Ron Martin complained that principal Fal Asrani ordered him to drop “Rent” because of its gay characters. The play was reinstated later in the month following media coverage of the controversy.
The lawsuit alleges that homophobia is rampant at the school. It complains that teachers and student use gay slurs and quotes one student as saying the principal voiced opposition to gay marriage during an English class.
The ACLU is seeking damages, a filing process at the school for discrimination complaints, the establishment of diversity training for staff and students and a schoolwide survey of attitudes towards sexism and homophobia.
The homophobic harassment and bullying at the school typifies a rise in hostility toward LGBT students throughout California in the wake of the divisive campaign over Proposition 8, which eliminated the right of lesbians and gay men to marry, the ACLU said in a statement.
“The threats, intimidation and slurs directed toward students on the basis of gender and sexual orientation at Corona del Mar High School are part of a growing sexist and homophobic environment there that school administrators could have – and should have – stopped,” said Hector Villagra, director of the Orange County office of the ACLU.
“Instead, these school officials amplified the hostile atmosphere by sending the message that the harassers can act with impunity, and by telling students who were the targets of threats and bullying that they would have to find ways to avoid it.”
It seems that the YouTube posting has been removed. I searched for it and couldn’t find it. But then again, I could just be off on my search. Anyone else found it?
As an Orange County resident and educator, I know first-hand that homophobia reigns in Newport Beach and most areas within the Orange Curtain.
I lived in Orange County CA for five years … it is a hot-bed of Reich-Wing kristianists, Rethuglican crazies, and hateful homophobia. The local AIDS charity can’t even put their name on the building. Ahmanson, the real estate tycoon, funds a lot of the hate.
Well for being born and raised and still living in the oppressed, depressed and dirty south, I must say my bubble and idea of the “liberal” forward moving west; California has surely been busted!
With the passing of Prop 8 and the stories like this makes the south look not so bad!
I could have honestly gone to my high school prom with a Guy (yes in the south) and not had issue, it was mainly by choice and fact I had no bf that I didn’t.
I guess there really just isn’t any complete Eutopia out there….
Sad to say but living in the Inland Empire and seeing the homophobia in this part of california makes my stomach turn. A few days ago my neighbor up the street saw my pride sticker on my car and yelled out “f***ing faggot!” I could care less, but my mother who is a conservative christian and fears what the neighbors will say about her gay son actually went and ripped off my sticker today. I’ll just go buy a magnetic one from spencer’s I guess. But anyways I know what where up against and it’s sad. In fact when I voted I was in line at the polls with a pride braclet on for supporting no on 8. Another neighbor didnt see it and said hi and all. Typical OC soccer mom you know, and was like oh I’m only here to vote yes on 8. I raised my jacket and looked her in the ey and said I’m here to defend my right to love who I choose. If you ever want to see a jaw drop do that. Anyways, keep fighting everyone. We’ll win one day.
Orange County has had a long history of being homophobic since at least the 1950s. It is a Republican stronghold. It was here that Prop 8 got started in the Catholic Church and a few other fundamentalist churches then joined in by the Mormons big time. This was on YouTube before the bruhaha blew up in their faces. This needs to change and it can only through the young people because the older folks are stuck in the mud and as we know the Republican party is generally no friend of the LGBT community nationwide.
This is an all to familiar situation that happens all over America. Gay people today are being treated the way African-Americans were back in the sixties. The rhetoric used against gay marriage today is similar to what was used against inter-racial marriages. It wasn’t until desegregation was forced on the school systems and anti-discrimination laws were past to protect African-American students that things started to improve and kids learned how to get along with each other. We have to keep fighting to protect the LGBT children who are being victimized everyday in our public schools.