Madisonville, KY students say school won't allow Gay-Straight Alliance

[Ian David]

Madisonville students say school won't allow Gay-Straight Alliance

After years of bullying, a group of Sequoyah High students in Madisonville, wanted it to stop.

"From 6th grade all the way up to my senior year, I have been put down for my sexual orientation, for "acting gay," for being an outcast," said senior Nathan Carroll.

<snip>

He started a petition and got 150 signatures. The students said another group of students started an anti-gay petition to stop the club.

<snip>

"He said anything going pro or against GSA... if any petition is found, it is to be torn up and thrown away. Any student caught with it will be sent to his office for further punishment," he said.

More:
http://www.wbir.com/news/article/182049/2/Madisonville-students-say-school-wont-allow-Gay-Straight-Alliance

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. Let's see if Obama/Duncan caves on this too.

>>>>>The Act requires public secondary schools to treat all student-initiated groups equally, regardless of the religious, political, philosophical, or other subject matters discussed at their meetings. Its protections apply to groups that address issues relating to LGBT students and matters involving sexual orientation and gender identity, just as they apply to religious and other student groups.

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s General Counsel, Charles P. Rose, is issuing a set of legal guidelines affirming the principles that prevent unlawful discrimination against any student-initiated groups. We intend for these guidelines to provide schools with the information and resources they need to help ensure that all students, including LGBT and gender nonconforming students, have a safe place to learn, meet, share experiences, and discuss matters that are important to them.

Although specific implementation of the Equal Access Act depends upon contextual circumstances, these guidelines reflect basic obligations imposed on public school officials by the Act and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The general rule, approved by the U.S. Supreme Court, is that a public high school that allows at least one noncurricular student group to meet on school grounds during noninstructional time (e.g., lunch, recess, or before or after school) may not deny similar access to other noncurricular student groups, regardless of the religious, political, philosophical, or other subject matters that the groups address.>>>>>


http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/110607.html


Why am I not optimistic?

[dsc]

2. honestly the courts and the ACLU have this

there is nothing to stop this dictrict, or any district, from deciding to ban all clubs or to make all clubs require parental permission but aside from those rather extreme steps no matter what this administration does or doesn't do, the courts have been very clear on this.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. I'm unclear. The story doesn't suggest that the school.....

.... is prepared ( or NOT prepared) to ban all clubs.

The school's position... if I understand it... is that no "petitions"... pro or con re. a prospective GSA can be circulated. Which is really.... extraneous. The basic question is dodged: can the interested students start a GSA? ( Duncan seems to say school officials have an "obligation" to permit it.)

I read and listened to the district spokesperson three times and can not make head nor tails out of it. What is he talking about?


And regardless of the legalistic complexities: Duncan and Obama can employ the "bully pulpit."

Will they?

I'll lay you odds they don't.

Go ahead, Arne. *Surprise* me.

[Ian David]

4. Give the Obama bashing a fucking rest already. You need a shoe horn to fit it into this topic? n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. No shoe horn. Just Duncan's letter of June 2011.

To School Districts.

In the United States.

On the subject of GSA's.

And their right to organize in high schools.


I can't think of a better fit, actually.

[Ian David]

6. I don't think some backwater school district will cause Obama to "cave"...

... no matter how much smug, self-satisfaction you would apparently get from seeing it happen.

[Smarmie Doofus]

8. LOL. You sound like you think he's gonna cave too.

I suspect we're both right.

Perhaps not.

Time.... and action vs. inaction... will undoubtedly tell.

[Ian David]

10. No. n/t

[dsc]

7. I pretty much loathe Duncan but on this issue

gay rights, he has been terrific. He stuck by Ken Jennings and his hand picked replacement in Chicago is openly gay. Duncan is overall bad for teachers for a myriad of reasons but for gays he has been about a good as it gets.

[Smarmie Doofus]

9. I agree. And have said as much in previous posts.

So.... we will be hearing from him or from the DOE on this particular issue. Right?


Unless, of course, the locals resolve it. ( i.e. "resolve" in the sense of permit the GSA group to organize as per Duncan's letter of 6/11.).

My thought is the school admins are double talking til they can figure out a way to dissuade the GSA kids from pushing ahead. ( I.e. thru pressure and intimidation.) Schools and school districts are pretty good at that sort of thing.


But you know that already.

[texshelters]

11. And that letter can be found

where?

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. The link in reply #1. Here it is again:

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/110607.html

[texshelters]

13. I missed that

and only saw the reference to it in the second comment.

Ooops.

Thanks.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[Smarmie Doofus]

14. ABSOLVED. *&^%^&#$@. Go forth and sin no more.

nt