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Loading ...Ore. school district to examine policy after gay group silenced
04.21.2009 4:30pm EDT
(Medford, Oregon) A southern Oregon school district is reexamining its policies after LGBT students at South Medford High School say they were denied permission to put up posters for the National Day of Silence recognizing the victims of anti-gay bullying.
Current school District policy prohibits non-district-sanctioned clubs from making announcements or posting information on school grounds that is considered “proselytizing.”Connie McNair, a junior and member of the school’s Gay Straight Alliance, said that the school was censoring the group.
“We just want the same privileges as other clubs have.”
This week Lambda Legal sent a letter to South Medford High School Principal Kevin Campbell, Medford School District Superintendent Phil Long, and the School Board reminding them that students are protected by the First Amendment and the federal Equal Access Act.
The EAA prohibits schools receiving federal funds and which allow any extracurricular student groups to meet from discriminating against other groups.
The letter accuses school officials of imposing restrictions on the Medford High GSA to which no other on-campus group is subject and that seriously burden club members’ free speech and associational rights.
These include requiring GSA members to get prior approval for their announcements and activities from an assistant principal, deeming the club’s legitimate educational activities illicit “proselytizing,” and even prohibiting the club from formally announcing today’s “Day of Silence.”
In the letter, Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Tara Borelli writes “While we hope that the school’s actions to deter the GSA’s activities are simply the result of confusion about its obligations, the law in this area is well–established and school’s unequal treatment of the GSA is difficult to understand and should be remedied swiftly.”
“It’s simply unlawful for South Medford High School to create unequal obstacles for Connie or the GSA, or to stifle the GSA’s announcements about the Day of Silence,” said Borelli. “We want to remind South Medford school officials that they have a responsibility to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, and we’re asking them to lift any restriction applying to the GSA but not to other groups.”
A school district spokesperson said that the district has policies designed to protect LGBT students.
“This is an opportunity for us to learn and refine what we’re doing,” said Doug Jantzi, Medford schools secondary education director. “Our goal is that students will have a voice and equity, and we will make corrections if needed.”
…we will make corrections if needed.”
IF needed? Wow, still clueless. Corrections are obviously needed; now make them!
“….and we will make corrections if needed.”
Smells of the Fox guarding the hen house……NO!…there’s nothing WRONG here!
“Proselytizing”? Can they really be serious?
““This is an opportunity for us to learn and refine what we’re doing,” said Doug Jantzi”"
Cough, Cough, Bullshit!
Guess everybody’s forgotten. Remember several years ago, when all the sudden it seemed like Oregon was some epicenter for gay haters? They’re in Medford (and other nearby cities). So being surprised by this is like being surprised by gay haters in Colorado Springs. Call them out on it.
This is the same town where the conservative ex-baptist minister sponsored for 20+years a sign on the local freeway (I-5) telling everyone the Pope is the anti-Christ, and anyone going to that church was going to hell. The same Homophobic Baptist minister was allegedly placing his hand where they did not belong, when he was not preaching how America was going to hell if they accept gays. I am not surprised by the resistance to new ideas. This red neck town is like Fred Phelps church, everybody is related and rants against fluoride, gays, abortions, condoms, liberal thinking about global warming (which includes anything Al-Gore), how the government is going to take away their guns in the next ten minutes, and the sky is going to fall in the next five minutes. This sawmill town has been against everything, and almost died because of it and still does not have a clue how to have a thought, that has not first thought by Rush Limbaugh. Why should they change? They live in their own little self-righteous ignorant singularity world. The KKK has more of a chance of admitting black members; then this town’s churches have the ability to love their non-straight neighbor. If it was not for the sawmill, the local rock quarry, the number of teen pregnancies, and I-5, this lily white, ass backward, redneck town would have blown off the map long time ago- That’s from my grandmother who attended that Baptist church there. I feel for the GLBTQ kids that have to grow-up there
‘This is an opportunity for us to learn and refine what we’re doing,’ said Doug Jantzi, Medford schools secondary education director.”
First, what are they doing? Discriminating against GLBT students. Second, what are they trying to learn and/or refine? How to get away with it? This year’s tactic didn’t work, so they’ll try some other form of oppression next year and see if that works out any better?