Gay Student Sues Christian School For Expelling Him

[Judi Lynn]

Gay Student Sues Christian School For Expelling Him

POSTED: 11:10 a.m. EDT October 22, 2003
UPDATED: 11:19 a.m. EDT October 22,

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- An 18-year-old student has sued a private Christian school, alleging he was expelled three days after he told a teacher he was gay.

Jeffrey Woodard said a teacher pulled him out of Bible class at Jupiter Christian School in August and asked him in confidence if he is gay.

When Woodard answered "yes," a school official called his mother, Carol Gload, and told her Woodard could not attend an upcoming school retreat unless he and Gload met with the school to talk about Woodard's sexual orientation, according to the lawsuit.

Gload said the school told them Woodard could get counseling for his "problem," voluntarily withdraw from the school or be expelled.

"I didn't think Jeffrey needed therapy," Gload said. "So when I explained he doesn't need help for anything, he knows who he is, they ... expelled him." (snip/...)

http://www.wftv.com/education/2572636/detail.html

[Rainbowreflect]

1. Good for him!

Do they expell every student that does anything they believe is against the bible? Anyone who takes the Lord's name in vain, anyone who wears clothes made of more than one fiber, anyone who works on Sunday, anyone who has touched the skin of a pig........?????????

[Ilsa]

2. But but but but

he might infect someone else with GAYNESS! They ahve to protect the children!
(sarcasm off)

[HEyHEY]

3. How did this school think they'd get away with this? n/t

[private_ryan]

7. because they can

"When it comes to public schools, it is clear the Constitution protects youth based on sexual orientation; however, that does not apply to private schools."

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

4. Don't they have the right to do that?

It's a private school. I thought that meant they were allowed to discriminate like this.

I'm not trying to defend the school here; there's no question that what they did was disgusting. But if they were indeed within their rights, then this kid doesn't have a legal pot to piss in.

[MountainLaurel]

5. It depends

If they receive any sort of government funding, then they should have to comply with anti-discrimination laws. However, not many jurisdictions include sexual orientation in the list of characteristics that cannot be causes of discrimination.

In any case, it's probably not good publicity for the school. Although, I'm sure all the Pentacostal Hair-Bow women are rejoicing that their ranks were cleansed of an infidel. :eyes:

[donotpassgo]

12. don't churches get tax exempt status?

Wouldn't that be considered an entitlement and type of funding?

[Chovexani]

18. Faith-Based Initiative allows religious groups to discriminate

One of the most odious things about the so-called "Faith-Based Initiative" is that it allows religious organizations who receive federal funding to discriminate in hiring and such. I'm not sure the initiative applies to schools though--I'd have to defer to the legal experts around here.

In any event, I'm not sure this kid has a legal leg to stand on. It's a damn shame, because what happened to him is despicable. Jesus would be ashamed of these people.

[LeftHander]

6. Not if they vouchers from school choice intiatives

THis type of law suit will slam the use of public funds for private schools in the form of school vouchers. Schools that accept vouchers for school choice will not be able to discriminate....

[DBoon]

11. I wouldn't bet on that

Not necessarily true - I heard an argument favoring public housing over vouchers that argued the level of government involvement in vouchers was not sufficient to grant tenants the same rights of due process afforded public housing tenants.

I'm sure voucher advocates have figured this one out and have written the necessary loopholes into the program.

[mumon]

8. IRONY ALERT

" Bible class at Jupiter Christian School ..."

Hmmm... is that kind of like the Shiva Christian school?

I bet those folks HATE their town's name!

[jonoboy]

9. basically they just expelled him for 'thinking'

[donotpassgo]

20. No. They expelled him for Being.

[peterh]

10. It appears that they are receiving public funds…

From the Florida Dept. of Education….I think the mother has a case

:)

<https://www.opportunityschools.org/Info/McKay/mckay_school_private.asp?disid=50&sid=7795>

[cdeca]

25. Those vouchers..

...boil my ass! There is actually NO accountability for these private schools that are recieveing public funds. Jebbie says that is the parents job. And then Jebbie has the nerve to withhold funds from schools that don't do well on his beloved FCAT.

I think we should start a constitutional amendment here in Florida to make Jebbie and Johnny Turd take the FCAT.

:grr:

[Exultant Democracy]

13. Send this to your congressmen

And tell them this is why they can’t support school vouchers.

[Selwynn]

17. I agree with that 100%

[Liberator_Rev]

14. Parents should know better than to send kids to such schools!

This proves that private schools may very well be INFERIOR to Public schools!
Thank God the kid is outta there!

[Cheswick2.0]

24. I am glad she is suing, win or lose. However.........

I agree, why the hell would this woman want her son in this school to begin with?

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

29. Lots of reasons.

Maybe it's the same school she or his father went to.
Maybe she felt it offered the best education.
Maybe he'd already been there for a year or two before he came out and didn't want to leave.
I'm guessing a combination of all three.

[rini]

15. that's why it's a private school, they take who they want, period

if dubbya has his way, all schools will be private and then no recourse for anyone who is "different" in anyway at all. Vote for anyone except dubbya!

[Selwynn]

16. Private school - they can acccept or reject whoever they want.

It's the price of the freedoms that we put to better uses, but he shouldn't win a lawsuit, unless it was a public school. Private institutiosn can discriminate on religious grounds. That's why gays don't win lawsuits against certain churches who don't hire them because they are gay.

Is it wrong? Shouldn't we protect the rights of private institutiosn? Yes, even those institutions we don't agree with? I don't agree with the poisition of the Arian Nation, but I grumblingly accept their right to exist, and to speech. If I am going to enjoy the rights I enjoy, it means I have to tolerate the opinions of others, and their right to privately operate under those beliefs.

Standing up for freedom usually means at some point defending the rights of people you disagree with. In this case, I think I'm on the church's side, though I think that believes that condemn people based on sexual orientation is ridiculous and appaling.

[ursacorwin]

19. i think everyone is missing the point

the kid didn't come out, the teacher directly asked him and *forced* him to reveal something that would be agaiinst school policy.

the fact is, they took the kid (and his mother's $$) in the first place. so unless he broke a rule (such as kissing another boy) then i don't see what ground they can have to expel him. after all, it was the teacher who made this happen and if the teacher had kept his mind on his own business, none of this would've happened.

the school can't have it both ways. it they suspected his wrists were too limp, they shouldn't have accepted him in the first place- or at least asked him about it then. and if they did know he was queer (why else would they accuse him) then *they* are the hypocrites here- why did they 'tolerate' his presence for all that time?


and another point: just goes to show that no matter what they claim, idiots like this know about being gay enough to pick one of us out on sight. haha, don't tell me this teacher doesn't have some, ahem, experience on this matter. deep down inside, homophobes are all self-hating queers.

[LearnedHand]

21. I don't know about self-hating...

...they just hate. Period.

[LizW]

23. Private means private

I think most people in the south understand what this means. Private schools don't take anyone they consider undesirable, whether that means black or brown, or non-Christian, or gay, or whatever.

In the south that is the reason many private schools exist -- to allow parents to send their children to school only with the kind of people they approve of.

As repugnant as the so-called "Christian" schools are (which are really segregation schools), I uphold their right to exist as long as they don't get one cent of my tax dollars. I wish more of the people in my neighborhood would send their kids to them instead of using the public schools and relentlessly trying to inject evangelical Christianity into them.

Believe me, if the religious right-wingers are successful in breaking down separation of church and state in the public schools, I want the right to send my kids to a private school that is ONLY for kids whose parents want secular education.

[0007]

22. What if the little boy has

said, I'm not gay but I'm into cunnilingus?

[cdeca]

26. The problem with the Private School arguement.

Many of you may not be aware of the school voucher program here in Florida. Lil' Jebbie has made it possible for our tax dollars to fund these fundies. And to add insult to injury the private schools are not held to ANY academic standards. There was even a private school in Pinellas County meeting in a condemned building.

You can still debate the "private" issue, but in my mind if one penny of my tax dollars go to that school they have no right to discriminate.

[rini]

28. in Texas

kids have been beaten to death, forced to swallow lye,all in the name of G-d.

[Cronus Protagonist]

27. I'm a vagitarian - would I be expelled?

Just wondering.

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[AndyTiedye]

30. What about the other "Private" aspect of this?

"In confidence" is supposed to mean "in confidence".
THAT is actionable, if nothing else.

If they get vouchers, there should be some accountability there too.