Source: Holmes County Times-Advertiser, Student Press Law Center, Associated Press
BONIFAY, Fla. -- A large crowd was on hand Tuesday night before the Holmes County School Board, with many on hand to strongly criticize the Board for transferring David Davis from principal of Ponce de Leon High School.
Davis was reassigned after a federal judge ruled that he had "embarked on what can only be characterized as a witch hunt," after students at the school staged equal-rights protests in support of a fellow student who complained of anti-gay harassment.
Most of those who spoke at last night's meeting showed up to support the ex-principal and criticize the judge's decision that Davis had violated a the rights of free speech for a students supporting equal rights.
Ponce de Leon junior Heather Gillman sued the school district and then-Principal Davis in January, claiming Davis prohibited students from wearing clothing, stickers, and buttons supporting gay rights.
In his ruling on the case, U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak blasted Davis for holding "morality assemblies" and misunderstanding of the First Amendment.
Davis, who was not present at last night's meeting, was transferred to a teaching position last summer following the ruling against the Board.
Despite the firm ruling against the board and the principal, many in this conservative Panhandle community still wonder what, exactly, Davis did wrong.
"We are a small, rural district in the Bible Belt with strong Christian beliefs and feel like homosexuality is wrong," Steve Griffin, Holmes County's school superintendent, told Associated Press. Griffin keeps a Bible on his desk and framed Scriptures on his office walls, AP reports.
Holmes is an inland county bordering Georgia in the Florida panhandle. Associated Press reports that most of the 20,000 people in the county are employed either by prisons or schools. There is also some agriculture, AP reports, and some commute to the Gulf Coast to work in tourism. Ponce de Leon, where the high-school is located, has fewer than 500 residents. It's one of two high schools in the county.
Most of those who spoke at last night's meeting were there to criticize Griffin the board for demoting Davis.
Speakers at the packed meeting criticized the board for selling Davis out, for having a "yellow streak," not letting God guide them, and other issues, the Holmes County Times-Advertiser reports.
Several speakers accused the board of using Davis as a scapegoat, including Joel Davis, the ex-principal's son. "You needed a good, Christian man you could stab in the back."
The younger Davis criticized the board for what he called "the injustice done to my father, who brought our children to higher levels than ever before."
Students started an impromptu gay-rights movement at the school in September 2007 after Davis criticized a senior who said middle school students harassed her because she is a lesbian. Davis told the senior that homosexuality is a sin; told her to stay away from younger students; and informed her parents she is a lesbian, according to court documents.
Gillman and other students began wearing rainbows and pink triangles, writing "Gay Pride" or "GP" on their bodies and wearing clothing with slogans such as "Gay? Fine By Me," "I'm Straight, But I Vote Pro-Gay," and "God Loves Me Just the Way I Am."
Davis then questioned the protesting students about their sexual orientation and suspended 11 students, including Gillman's cousin, for participating in the gay pride movement.
"The Holmes County School Board has imposed an outright ban on speech by students that is not vulgar, lewd, obscene, plainly offensive, or violent, but which is pure, political, and expresses tolerance, acceptance, fairness, and support for not only a marginalized group, but more importantly, for a fellow student at Ponce de Leon," Smoak wrote in his opinion.
Smoak held that any disruption in the school was not a result of the "innocuous symbols and phrases at issue" but due to Davis' "animosity toward students who were homosexual and his relentless crusade to extinguish the speech supporting them."
At trial, Davis testified that he believes homosexuality is a sin and an abomination that God will punish.
"I find that students at Ponce de Leon, who were involved in the gay pride movement, were simply taking prophylactic measures to counteract Davis's illegal conduct in stifling their speech and support for their homosexual friends," Smoak wrote.
Most of those who spoke at last night's meeting expressed support for the homophobic principal.
Lyndia Spears, who told the Board that she had 25 years experience as an assistant U.S. attorney, argued the judge was wrong to conclude that Davis tried to force his religion on students.
She said that Davis knew policy about expressing his religion on the job. "He was very careful," she said.
"Instead of standing behind him you abandoned Principal Davis and let the ACLU dictate your actions. The defense was inadequate from the beginning. A proper investigation would have led to support for Davis," Spears claimed.
Other speakers complained that the board should not have accepted mediation with the ACLU, which filed the suit on behalf of Gillman and the other students.
Superintendent Griffin replied that the only mediation was with the ACLU over legal fees, that the Board managed to reduce from over $700,000 to $325,000. Griffin also said there was no court order to remove Davis as principal. The Board also refused to give in on 34 points brought up by the ACLU, Griffin said.
Griffin said that he does not support the homosexual lifestyle, nor did he in any way agree with the judge's decision. "But, as a constitutional officer I must obey the judge and Florida regulations," Griffin said.
Griffin urged local churches to minister to young people, as "many do not have a Christian education," he said.
"We will continue to work hard on the educational side, and we ask you to work just as hard on the religious side."
Source: HC school board attacked for removing Davis | Holmes County Times-Advertiser
Fla. district must pay $325,000 for banning pro-gay symbols | Student Press Law Center
Fla. town backs ex-principal in gay student case | Associated Press