Honor Student suspended for saying homosexuality is wrong.

Im not on the schools side for this argument. The kid was right its german class not a health class or a culture based class. It should be used to teach german. I would understand if it was brought up once or twice while discussing german culture and current events in Germany, but other wise teach a langauge like your supposed to.

Suspention was a bit to much dont you think? First ammendment rights and all that. Sure it may be diagreable but i dont know any one who is every one freindly all the time. People really need to calm down when non threatning or non attacking anti gay things are said. Its bound to happen and flipping out helps noone. just pull the dude aside and be like "it might offend some people so avoid saying it bluh bluh"

However if the teacher wants a "world wall" (which im assuming to be somthing to spread diversity) than she should post what ever she wants on it as longs as its appropriate for a school enviornment. Two guys kissing (depednig on how) is not somthing that falls under the NO colum.

Doing stupid things like susspension for a small comment is just gonna make you look like the bully and put you in the wrong. While i do think the kid should learn to be more accepting, this is a gradual battle and if we want everyone to be accepting we cant make them think there is some agenda pushing goinbg or look like antagonists.

Sorry for the rant, but just sayin.

 

I actually got into an argument in class today over this, we had a debate about it in intermediate sanctions. I think the school was right, and I'm angry that they backed off of the suspension. First amendment rights only go so far, and when they begin to create a hostile learning environment, that's where they end.

This kid's comment contributed absolutely nothing to the discussion, and its only purpose was to alienate and degrade LGBT people, some of whom may have been sitting in that room who could have overheard him when he said it. I would say the same thing had someone said something negative and derogatory about blacks or Christians or Muslims or whoever--negative comments don't belong in a learning environment. School should be a safe and welcoming place for all students, period.

 

^ I agree with this, it doesn't matter what his "beliefs" are if he is saying something discriminatory in a public school setting.

I mean, it's not like I could pipe up and say the Jews deserve what they got in the Holocaust during a WWII history discussion, just because I might happen to "believe" that. (Not saying I do, obviously, just using that as a hypothetical.) Or say that I think there should still be segregation during a discussion of the Civil Rights Movement. Neither would be considered socially appropriate positions, and I don't think "homosexuality is wrong" should be considered a socially appropriate position to hold either. Not anymore. It's 2011.

I don't care how many people hold the opinion, that doesn't make it any less bigoted or untrue.

Frankly, I'm tired of religious folks using the free speech argument when they're the first ones to want to censor everything that is offensive to them, including gay people.

 

Errr guys....did you notice who was reporting on it? Fox News, as in the same network who has been right-winged for as long as we've known. The fact is, I think this story has probably been widely mistold by Fox...I have a feeling it's more than what it seems. I don't see ANY school actually suspending a student for expressing their belief. If they truly were just expressing their view, I don't see why a student would be suspended. If they were attacking a student, telling them they're wrong, then maybe but just expressing it...And when Fox News is reporting something, in most cases, you should never believe just that side of the story. I don't believe a student should be suspended for saying that sort of thing either, they're just expressing their first amendment right of free speech, and I don't for one second believe this student was suspended just for saying "I'm Christian and I believe homosexuality is wrong".

 

Not the whole story, I'm sure. The kid and his parents are just whiny media attention whores.

 

Sure, he has a right to say what he thinks, and his teacher can disagree with that, but I don't think suspension is the right idea.

Also, I hate how the mom says that the teacher was "pushing his agenda". If I hear someone say that one more time, I think I'm going to slap them.

 

I don't support what the school did.

Despite the endless repetition of the "freedom of religion" canard by conservatives, sometimes it does have a certain element of truth to it. Religion is illogical to begin with; you can't expect every church to drop everything and start accepting gays. Never will happen. There will be endless splinter cells of Christian denominations, but the majority of churches won't get any better than "love the sinner." There's never been quite a social shake-up like this where society as a whole expects all biblical scholars to believe one accepted interpretation.

The future of theology aside, if that's his belief, that's his belief. Doesn't make it any less stone-age, but he's free to have it.

 

However, if you were to say either of those things you certainly would not be suspended just for saying them. Most certainly reprimanded by the teacher, perhaps sent to the prinicpal's office, and maybe a detention, but saying either of those things and getting suspended would draw just as much media attention but as "schools are policing our children's thoughts" instead of "schools aren't allowing my bigotted world view".

 

alot of schools have zero tolerence for hurassment.

Supsension is valid if it is targeting students directly... but supsension is not valid if someone is simply stating their opinion. havent had time to read the article to decide for myself which side of the coin this one seems to be.

 

I think that suspension was too far. I don't like this kid's opinion, for obvious reasons, but he has the right to say, "I think being gay is wrong," even if we don't agree with it (cue the Voltaire quote). Maybe if he had stood up and said, "You're a stupid fag loving [expletive]," I would have agreed with the suspension.

I think it's a little odd that they're making such a big deal that this kid was an, "Honors student and on the football team," why does that really matter? Also, they said that, "Standing up for what he believed in is what got him in trouble," but according to the kid he only said it to his friend who was sitting behind him. Something doesn't feel right. Maybe someone's lying. Hell it could all be made up. We won't know for sure until the whole story comes out.

Furthermore, about the teacher discussing gay rights. I'm no expert, but I'm sure there are gay right movements and things going on in Germany. If he wants to discuss them for a 'current events' type of lecture that's fine, but if he wanted to discuss them at more length he should teach Queer Studies or Gender Studies. Not German.

They also say that the school would not comment on why the teacher was discussing homosexuality in a 9th grade classroom. Most people in the 9th grade are 14 or 15 years of age. They understand and know what homosexuality is. They almost make it sound like he brought sex toys for a group of pre-schoolers to play with.

Plus this happened in Texas?!

 

Its this whole political correctness that is nonsense to be honest I find people overreact about anything to do with any minority group because their scared that ut will vause offence noone would have batted an eyelid if he had said marraige was wrong or that I think people are generally so worried you end up with a sort of reverse; homophobia, racism etc ( am I making sense?)

 

I state again, Fox News = always on the side of religion. (or at least in most cases). Thus never tells the full story.

 

I fully support what the school did. If he had made a similar comment another minority, there would be no debate and his ass would get kicked out the door.

Besides that, who gives a shit as to whether or not he's an honor student? I know plenty of honor students who are complete assholes.

 

I tend to agree. What if he had said that being black was wrong?

 

His believing homosexuality is wrong is as stupid as if I believed that curly hair is wrong. Too bad another student didn't say, "I'm a Christian and I believe all human sexuality, gay, bi, and straight, is a gift from God." That could have been the teacher's response. He wouldn't even have to say it directly to that kid, but as a general statement of fact. I'm sick of some brands of the religion ruining it and thinking they speak for all the various brands. I wish the media would give more air time to the good churches that welcome our GLBT brothers and sisters.

 

Okay I'm way to busy to read this whole thread

We had this topic come up a few times, first time the students where mostly for gays while the teacher made a whole deal about "genes isn't a good enough excuse"
second time, the majority of the kids where against it while the teacher was trying to keep her cool and not kill every bigot in the room

luckily its just my class that seems to be homophobic, My school is fairly Gay friendly, our head boy and deputy head boy are both gay, we have a couple gays in alll grades really, and two of my friends have gay parents.

as for where I stand on this article, well I'd like to read the REAL story before I can form any opinion!

 

This was in Texas AND Foxnews!!!! Wow!

 

I think suspension was pretty harsh especially considering this was the students first time getting in trouble. It might not have been good for him to say that but for teacher to totally screw up the student's perfect record was not a fair punishment because an even better way to resolve that would be by talking to the student and his parents instead of making them feel angry against the teacher which might lead to other things.