Expelled Gay Student Shares his Story

[La_Serpiente]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/10/28/cnna.zahn.access/index.html


Expelled gay student: 'Personally, I was shocked'

(CNN) -- In West Palm Beach, Florida, 18-year-old student Jeffrey Woodard and his mother have sued Woodard's former school, alleging he was unfairly expelled by the Christian school after being coaxed into telling a teacher that he is gay.

In an exclusive interview, Woodard and his attorney, Trent Steele, discussed the case with CNN anchor Paula Zahn.

ZAHN: Let's start off with the whole question of your contention that you were expelled because you were gay. Can you categorically tell us that there is nothing else in your record that should have gotten you expelled from this school?

WOODARD: There is nothing at all. In fact, there is nothing else mentioned in the meeting between me and the president at the school. So personally, there is nothing really that they can say about me.

[bleedingheart]

1. This highlights one aspect of Private schooling ...

at their discretion they can kick you out or not accept you. A private school makes the rules...not the community. So if your gay, learning disabled, or perhaps not "pretty enough" they don't have to take you or keep you.

[tsipple]

2. Unless the Law is Changed

That same school cannot discriminate on the basis of race, can it?

[La_Serpiente]

3. This is another constitutional problem

this schools received vouchers from the state government.

[DarkPhenyx]

5. I believe it was determined that...

...vouchers don't equate to public funding, but I could be wrong there. Hopefully someone has a link confirming or denying this.

[bleedingheart]

6. I am not sure about that. There are private clubs in this country

that still discriminate based upon sex and race.

[DarkPhenyx]

4. By and large you are correct.

Their action sucks severly but it is their right as a private organization to do so. I don't think we really want to infringe on the rights of private organizations.

[bleedingheart]

7. I am not saying that we should infringe upon the rights of private

organizations but... I think that this is something that people seem to forget about private schools. You can have the money to attend or perhaps a voucher but there is no guarantee they will keep you or want you.

[DarkPhenyx]

8. OK, just wanted to make sure.

I can just see the groundswell of "they can't do that" coming. I'm probably a little trigger happy at the moment.

[Silverhair]

9. They knew what the school was like going in. No sympathy.

If the school had sprung it on them as surprise I would feel some sympathy. But this was a fundamentalist Christian Church school. While I can't say about this one, the ones that I know bring in the parents and screen them first. They have handouts that they give out. He knew the church position.

By his suit he is giving that school LOTS of free publicity. By the market that they serve, that school will be seen has bravely standing their ground. For the school that"s a big plus so they will have more applications and can charge a higher tuition.

Change the law? FAT CHANCE. First Amendment. Religious school - they have a right to set their standard of conduct and morals. We may not like it, but it is their right.

[DarkPhenyx]

10. You should know though...

...that by saying that you are going to be labeled as a gay basher by some of the folks on this list. Thought I'd warn you.

[Silverhair]

11. Probably so.

I have a stepson that is gay, and he is a loved member of the family. He goes to a gay church. If he were to try to get a position at a hard-core fundamentalist church and tried to sue when he would be rejected, (He is smarter than that. In fact he is really smart.) I would not be supportive of that effort. Instead I would ask him, "What the hell did you expect, and what are you trying to accomplish?"

[tsipple]

12. What, No "Gay Conversion" Class?

I mean, come on. Who wants to attend a school with such a limited curriculum offering? :evilgrin:

[Silverhair]

13. ROTFLMAO. Great humor.