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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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ACLU Warns Arkansas School to Stop Persecuting Gay Student
March 13, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JACKSONVILLE, AR -- The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging
officials at Jacksonville Junior High School over repeated punishment
of a 14-year-old student for being openly gay. In a letter to school
officials sent today, the ACLU demanded that the school stop
violating the student's rights and remove all unconstitutional
disciplinary actions taken against him from his record by March 21 or
face legal action.
In its letter, the ACLU said that school officials "outed" the gay
student, Thomas McLaughlin, to his parents against his wishes and
have since told him he must not discuss being gay while at school,
forced him to read from the Bible and disciplined him for being open
about his sexual orientation.
"My school forced me out of the closet when I should have been
allowed to come out to my family on my own terms and when I thought
it was the right time. And now the school has been trying to shove me
back into it ever since," McLaughlin said. "I'm through with being
silenced, and I don't want this happening to other gay kids at my
school."
McLaughlin's troubles with the school began last year, when a school
official called McLaughlin's mother to tell her that her son was gay.
McLaughlin, who at that point had only come out to a handful of close
friends at school, wasn't ready to tell his parents yet.
To "out" a young person to his or her parents is more than a mere
overstepping of boundaries -- it can have tragic consequences, such
as when a Pennsylvania youth heard a similar threat from police
officers in 1997 and committed suicide rather than face what he
feared would be rejection from his family. In that case, a federal
appeals court has held that threatening to disclose private
information violated the teenager's constitutional right to privacy.
Fortunately for McLaughlin, his parents were accepting and
understanding, avoiding such tragedy.
"Students should not be punished for being honest about their sexual
orientation," said Leslie Cooper, staff attorney with the ACLU's
Lesbian and Gay Rights Project. "It's shameful how Jacksonville
Junior High School has trampled on Thomas McLaughlin's constitutional
rights to intimidate and silence him from being honest about who he
is. If this were civics class, the school would be failing."
Now that McLaughlin has become more open about his sexual
orientation, the school has made numerous attempts to punish and
silence him for being out at school:
One teacher called a conference with McLaughlin's parents and the
principal because she objected to his being open about being gay.
During the meeting, the principal concurred that she was opposed to
McLaughlin talking at school about being gay.
A different teacher ordered McLaughlin not to discuss his sexual
orientation, saying that she found it "sickening," and later called
his mother to complain about his homosexuality.
School officials preached their religious views on homosexuality and
forced him to read aloud from the Bible in clear violation of the
establishment clause of the First Amendment. This was done as
punishment after McLaughlin, who is himself a Christian, disagreed
with a teacher for calling him "abnormal" and "unnatural."
In violation of McLaughlin's free speech rights, the school suspended
him for two days for telling other students about being made to read
the Bible in school. The principal and assistant principal also told
McLaughlin that if he told any of his friends why he was suspended,
they would recommend that he be expelled.
McLaughlin is not even allowed to participate in typical teenage
conversations about crushes. In January he was disciplined for
talking between classes with a female friend about a boy they both
considered "cute." He was disciplined; his friend was not.
"Thomas McLaughlin's school has completely overstepped the boundaries
of the law in the way it has treated him," said Rita Sklar, Executive
Director of the ACLU of Arkansas. "School officials have no place
trying to convert a student's religious beliefs to their own, and
they certainly have no place using religion as a way to punish
students."
The case is being handled by the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights
Project and attorney Kathy Hall of Little Rock.
Text of the ACLU letter to school officials: (go to
http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?ID=12082&c=106
and scroll down)
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Steve
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Really getting into it |
Location: London, England
Registered: November 2006
Messages: 465
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It's sickening that so often the USA is not "the land of the free", but it is heartening that in cases like this it clearly is "the home of the brave".
Forgive a foreigner's cheek, but there is something really wrong with the values system of a local authority that will permit an 'educational establishment' - one can hardly grace it with the name of a school - to behave in such a manner. And what can be said of the values system of a State authority that does not act, and of a Federal authority that does not act?
The USA, which prides itself with not having an established religion, is the most Christian country in the world - and to this non-Christian it displays far too often a wrong and warped face of Christianity.
After reading that account I just had to say all this. I know I must have offended some of you: it was not intentional; please forgive me.
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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I largely agree with your viewpoint. This young man is truly brave. Not many would have the guts to take on their own school. I imagine that a lot of his courage is inspired by his parents who accepted him for what he was. They should be commended as well.
As for the school officials, it sounds like at least the principal and perhaps one or two teachers need to face disciplinary action, perhaps even be fired. No student should be subjected to they've done to him.
You're questioning of the actions of the state and federal authorities seems a bit hasty, though. The article doesn't mention anyone outside the local school system having been informed. It is possible that no one has been. At least not until the ACLU wrote that letter. It would be interesting to see the response.
Christians can be some of the finest people in the world. They can also be some of the meanest, most intolerant, and hurtful. Unfortunately, many seem to feel that God has given them a mandate to force their beliefs on others. When those beliefs are rejected, they can become quite ugly.
There is no state sponsored religion in the US. However, relgious groups and organizations can wield a lot of power. Some see it as their responsibility to become involved in politics. It seems that the more fundamentalist, the more vocal. I think that this is one reason for the "warped face of Christianity" seen by the rest of the world. Another is the media's tendency to report only the extreme. It would not have been deemed newsworthy to report the thousands of cases where this type of discrimination was not tolerated by the school system and did not occur.
Think good thoughts,
e
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Damn.. I'm very impressed and completely agree with what you guys have said... All I can say I Wow..
~Andy
Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?
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rbryce
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Likes it here |
Registered: January 1970
Messages: 216
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LETS ALL SEND THIS BRAVE KID OUR SUPPORT---rob
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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In case anyone wants to offer their opinions to the school administration, the following info was lifted from another board:
"....the Jacksonville schools are part of the Pulaski County Special School District. In which case it is the largest school district in the state, encompassing much of the Little Rock metropolitan area.
It is. Jacksonville Jr. H.S.
1320 School DR.
Jacksonville, AR 72076
(501) 982-1587
FAX (501) 241-2139
Principles name is Brenda Allen email is: ballen@pcssd.org
They dont have a web page
This is the link to the school districts website http://www.pcssdweb.k12.ar.us/ "
Have fun and remember to be nice....that realy freaks these people out.
E.J.
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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I am a fifty year old married man living in England, father of a fine 18 year old son at school at (schoolname)in England.
He and I have been discussing your school's actions with regard to Thomas McLaughlin. He was horrified to learn that officials at your school had told the boy's family he was gay, which is a highly private matter, and equally horrified to learn that your staff are persecuting the boy for his sexual orientation, which is inbuilt into him, and not a matter for sin, or some misguided cure.
My own son is fortunate enough both to be heterosexual and attend a school that accepts homosexuality as one of many normal variations in a diverse biology. He has several homosexual friends at school, and is content that they are who they are, and he is who he is. He passes no judgement.
He and I wondered why you do not follow the same enlightened attitude. This is the area I would like your help on, please:
Why, first, did your teachers cause this boy great grief by telling his family?
And second, why are they persecuting him?
The world is scrutinising your actions. The ACLU is likely to take you to court. Your actions would also not be legal if you were a UK school. My heart goes out to Thomas.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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The concept is simple.
If the Bible does not say it...... It is impossible.
If the Bible does say it...... Then it is law.
If you show or demonstrate an attitude or lifestyle other than professed in their Bible then it is their HOLY OBLIGATION to bring the miscreant back into the fold.
These people will not waver from their tunnel vision approach.
Their limited mentality prevents any sory of origional thought.
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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Even a drip of water can erode a stone, if repeated often enough.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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If the Bible thumpers were never challenged, man would never have ventured into space as the heavens would still be revolving around the Earth. The new world would not have been discovered as the world would still be flat.
Think good thoughts,
e
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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I was however outlining what anyone would have to contend with when dealing with such people.
The hammering of this religous rhetoric into the people of the southern bible belt, commencing from the time when one is able to understand the spoken word ingranes this mentality into every facet of daily life. That just do not have the origionality of thought to come up with an idea on thier own.
That is why they see nothing wrong in forcing the boy to read from the Bible. The thought that is wrong would never occur to them, let alone taking into account the fact that it is unconstitutional.
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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And there is the fact that some of this country is not in the deep south bible belt.
For these people it is not a challenge to their religous belief. It is a response to (as they see it) sin of the most virul kind.
I see your point, but there is a difference in their motives here.
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rbryce
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Likes it here |
Registered: January 1970
Messages: 216
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lets send ALL bible thumpers to Iraq--hehehe
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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For, unlike homosexuality, intransigence is a sin.
Let us, therefore, take every gentle opportunity to bring their misdeed to their attention
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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rbryce
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Likes it here |
Registered: January 1970
Messages: 216
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I would hope that this post be sent to other boards and forums.We seem to have a wonderful oppertunity here to empower ourselves by this internet.Togeather WE are a strength-that is if we do not let it slip through our fingers! rob
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