My high school's first attempt at a GSA club

JRNagoya · May 25, 2012

I graduated from Vanguard High School in 1996. At the time, there were only two out gay students that I knew of. Then I read this article. It's asinine opinions like that of the principal that keeps LGBT students closeted and ashamed of their orientation. There's no love loss between me and my high school, but the actions of the principal and his comments are nauseating.

The article can be found here: ACLU Foundation of Florida sues Marion County School Superintendent Jim Yancey | Ocala.com

Emphasis on select quotes and thoughts of the principal are my own:

ACLU sues Yancey, School Board
At issue: Gay-Straight Alliance
By Vishal Persaud
Staff writer
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.

On behalf of two Vanguard High School students, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida filed suit against School Superintendent Jim Yancey and the School Board on Thursday. The suit says Yancey violated the students' rights when he denied their request to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at the school.

Both students are juniors at Vanguard and were identified as "S.K." and "D.L." to protect their identities because of their ages.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Ocala, claims that Yancey violated the students' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights and the federal Equal Access Act, "which protects students' ability to form and run school clubs."

The students had made official requests to Vanguard's principal, who rejected them. They appealed to Yancey, who also refuted the club's establishment because "the student club's purpose is not age appropriate," the lawsuit stated.

"We don't have those kinds of conversation about sexual orientation in our school district," Yancey said in a phone interview on Thursday. "Those are more appropriate for more family atmospheres and for adult conversations."

Yancey said he looked at the club proposal and constitution presented to him by the students' attorneys and looked at their school website to make his decision.

Based on what he read on the club's website, in addition to the club proposal and constitution, he said he made a determination that conversations the club would be having were not appropriate for some of the high school's younger students.

Yancey implied the students would not be talking about what they stated in their mission proposal — to promote awareness and support about homophobia and to help reduce bullying and discrimination — but instead use the club as a forum to talk about sexually explicit material.

"A kid who's 14 and wants to be accepted and would show up at this could easily be influenced by whatever the conversation is," Yancey said.

The club's website was not available for public view on the Vanguard High School website.

Yancey officially declined the request through a letter from his attorney on May 15, even though the GSA students' application complied with all requirements needed to start a club at Vanguard. He said in the phone interview that he never met with the students in person to discuss the club because he assumed they didn't want to talk to him.

The lawsuit says no other school official opposed the club's establishment, and that the high school's student activities director would have signed the club's request form, but was advised by the principal to remain neutral.

The students are asking that Yancey and the school district reverse their decision and not take any "retaliatory action" against them because they decided to bring suit. They also have requested payment for their attorney costs.
Click to expand...

Me again. This is what ignorance brings to the table. Instead of educating himself and talking one on one with the students, he disgraces himself and the high school with his unfair judgment and opinions. This is central Florida, however. I really shouldn't be all that surprised. I hope the ACLU goes for the jugular.

Linthras · May 25, 2012

It basically boils down to this:

And of course genuine homophobia, but his weak argument seems to be just irrational ageism.

mnguy · May 25, 2012

Huh, "conversation about sexual orientation"?

Yea, wouldn't want any of that. Scientific facts and all. High school kids don't talk about their sexuality ever. They don't talk about who they think is hot or who they're dating or how far they went with their gf last Friday night.

What he means is, "conversations about homosexuality being a natural human sexuality for some people." That's the scientific truth these people don't want kids to learn. If kids could learn that basic truth in health and sex ed classes, it would reduce the confusion and frustration many of us went through to finally realize our sexuality.

A 14 yo gay kid has been surrounded by a heterosexual environment her whole life isn't easily influenced to be straight so the opposite isn't going to happen either. Ignorance and fear mongering as usual.

AloneOutHere · May 25, 2012

Yeah i was raised being told i would marry "a pretty girl"

ArcherySet · May 26, 2012

When teenage boys/girls talk about the members of the opposite sex, its cute, and encouraged and part of normal sexual development. When its gay kids, its adult and better left not discussed in any capacity, especially not in a place of learning.

JRNagoya · Jun 9, 2012

Posting a recent update to the issue. Emphasis added is mine. The School Superintendent didn't change his mind because it was the right thing to do, but because he didn't want to "waste taxpayers' dollars." :

Gay-Straight Alliance allowed, Vanguard students prevail | Ocala.com

Vanguard students prevail; Gay-Straight Alliance allowed
By Vishal Persaud

Under the pressure of a pending lawsuit and a possible injunction from a federal court, School Superintendent Jim Yancey announced late Friday that he would allow two Vanguard High School students to start a Gay-Straight Alliance.

Yancey and the School District broke news of the decision in a press release. It cited extensive Florida case law and the possibility of expensive legal fees as reasons for reversing the initial decision to deny Dylan Lee and Sarah Kirk's request for the club.

"I'm not interested in wasting taxpayer dollars just because I think I'm right," Yancey said in a telephone interview Friday.

He said that, legally, he knew he was going to lose; therefore, he decided he wasn't going to waste time on the matter.

Yancey said he looked at similar lawsuits in other Florida counties. For example, a court ruled against the Okeechobee County schools and ordered that district to pay $325,000 in legal fees. In the telephone interview, Yancey said the decision initially cost that school district about $800,000, but it was able to negotiate down.

Students interested in joining the GSA must have written parental permission, as is the case for all extracurricular activities. Plus, "discussions at club meetings cannot focus on sexual content, and the faculty advisor must attend all meetings," the news release said.

"We applaud the School District's concession and reversal and are pleased it is now moving in the right direction," said Benjamin Stevenson, the students' attorney, in an email statement. "Every other school district in Florida should take note of what Marion County Public Schools has learned about the rights of students."

In late May, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida filed a lawsuit on behalf of the two Vanguard students against Yancey and the School Board.

The lawsuit alleged that Yancey's refusal of a proposed GSA at the school was a violation of the students' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights and the federal Equal Access Act, which protects students' rights to form and run clubs.

The ACLU filed a subsequent motion requesting an injunction against Yancey in early June, asking the court to order the superintendent to overturn his refusal of the GSA.

Yancey countered, saying the club was not age appropriate for the high school's younger students. He indicated that some conversations might take on a sexually explicit nature, which wouldn't be appropriate for 14-year-old students.

In a letter that Yancey's attorney, William Haldin Jr., sent to the ACLU and the students before the lawsuit was filed, Haldin argued that if all Vanguard students were 18, then Yancey would have allowed the club.

Lee and Kirk, the two students, said they approached Vanguard High School principal Rick Lankford, who denied their club request in an informal hallway meeting last fall. The students said he told them he didn't want a club based on sexual orientation at the school.

But that wasn't the students' or club's intentions. The students wanted a forum to address anti-bullying and homophobia issues concerning the school's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students.

"We are excited that the school will now let us have our GSA at Vanguard High," Lee wrote in an email statement sent from the ACLU. "This club will do a lot to improve the environment at my school."
Click to expand...

Revan · Jun 9, 2012

Linthras said: ↑

It basically boils down to this:
Image

And of course genuine homophobia, but his weak argument seems to be just irrational ageism.
Click to expand...

I do so love this

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo[/youtube]

My high school's first attempt at a GSA club

JRNagoya
Full Member

Linthras Guest

mnguy
Full Member

AloneOutHere
Regular Member

ArcherySet Guest

JRNagoya
Full Member

Revan
Full Member

My high school's first attempt at a GSA club

Thread Tools

JRNagoya Full Member

Linthras Guest

mnguy Full Member

AloneOutHere Regular Member

ArcherySet Guest

JRNagoya Full Member

Revan Full Member

JRNagoya
Full Member

mnguy
Full Member

AloneOutHere
Regular Member

JRNagoya
Full Member

Revan
Full Member