Source: Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle reports that suburban school districts in the area have been fielding a flurry of calls recently from parents concerned about the anti-bullying observance, Day of Silence. The report suggests that the calls are part of an organized campaign to stop the anti-bullying protest.
This week, Alton Frailey, superintendent of Katy's school district, let all teachers know that -- though no one asked his district to participate in the silent protest -- if someone did, "my answer is no."
His districtwide e-mail on the subject, which confused and offended some teachers according to the Chronicle, came in response to form letters from parents complaining about Day of Silence, a national, and usually non-disruptive, silent student protest meant to draw attention to bullying based on sexual orientation.
"The degree of exposure and political posturing currently being generated is bringing more attention to this particular subject than is necessary," Frailey wrote Monday in an e-mail that also instructed teachers not to make exceptions for students taking vows of silence.
The event began in 1996, but only started getting negative attention recently. In 2005, the conservative legal group the Alliance Defense Fund staged a counterprotest, called Day of Truth, which supports the "free speech rights of Christian students to present an opposing viewpoint to those organizations that promote homosexual behavior in the schools," according to the group's Web site. Then this year, the American Family Association sent an alert encouraging parents to keep kids home Friday if other students at their schools are participating in the Day of Silence.
"There are a lot of misinformation campaigns originating with groups who recognize that the Day of Silence is a very powerful positive thing," said Daryl Presgraves, a GLSEN spokesman.
The AFA did not return a call seeking comment, but one form letter from its Web site notes "by allowing students to remain silent, administrations fail to protect the classroom from intrusive, political exploitation."
In Katy, students have zipped their lips in protest before, the Chronicle reports. At least four schools registered last year. This just seems to be the first time the administration is getting involved. The move upset some teachers, even if it eased the minds of a few parents.
"I was greatly offended," said a gay teacher with the district, who asked not to be identified because he feared backlash. "What is the worst that can happen? Good Lord, how much instruction could you get done if kids were silent for a day?"
The Chronicle reports that the the silent protest has been going on for years in the Houston Independent School District. Neither that district, nor other suburban districts sent teachers or principals a directive on how to handle the silent protesters.
All the districts agree that students have the constitutional right to keep quiet outside of the classroom.
"Anything students do along those lines is strictly voluntary, on their own, similar to the hands-around-the-flagpole kind of events," a spokesman for HISD told the Chronicle.
At HISD's Pershing Middle School, CeCe White, who is straight, told the paper that she is organizing Friday's silent protest in part because her best friend is gay. The 14-year-old doesn't expect any problems with teachers and has the support of her mom.
"She has an opinion, and I think that's a great thing," said White's mom, Gail Fox.
Full article: Katy ISD abuzz on teens' silent protest of bullying of gays | Houston Chronicle