Source: ACLU press release and PageOneQ
PONCE DE LEON, Fla. -- The ACLU has filed suit against officials at a high school in the Florida panhandle claiming that the school has been "trampling the First Amendment rights of students who support equal rights for gay people."
The complaint filed in federal court Thursday seeks an injunction against Ponce de Leon High School on behalf of 16 year-old Heather Gillman and an unnamed classmate.
According to the students, problems began in September when a lesbian student tried to report to school officials that she was being harassed by other students because she is a lesbian. Instead of addressing the harassment, students say school officials responded by routinely intimidating and censoring students for things like writing “gay pride” on their arms and notebooks or wearing rainbow-themed clothing.
Gillman has accused the school of retaliating against her, her lesbian classmate, and others who rallied behind said classmate after she was harassed by other students over her sexual orientation.
Students say that instead of addressing the harassment itself, Principal David Davis personally targeted and questioned students showing pro-gay sentiment, claiming they were part of a "secret organization."
After speaking with several students, the ACLU sent a letter to the school district on behalf of Gillman asking for clarification as to whether a variety of symbols and slogans, such as the rainbow flag or “I support my gay friends,” would be allowed at the school. The school district replied that it would not allow any expressions of support for gay rights at all because such speech would “likely be disruptive.” The district then went even further, claiming that such symbols and slogans were signs that students were part of a “secret/illegal organization.”
"Writing something like ‘I support gay rights' on your notebook doesn't mean you're part of some secret conspiracy or shadowy organization," said Christine Sun, a staff attorney with the ACLU's national Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project. "Schools shouldn't be in the business of trying to frighten students into silence."
In response to the ACLU's original letter, a lawyer for the school board claimed that the school was within its rights to suppress some forms of speech at the school. "What the School Board seeks to maintain is the sanctity of the learning environment at each school within the District. Thus, any behavior that alters the teaching process of the classroom or hinders any educational activity will be deemed inappropriate and unacceptable."
Full article: American Civil Liberties Union
Straight pupil sues school for suppression of pro-gay speech | PageOneQ.com