Calif. School Settles
Dispute
Over Gay Student
Stories
by 365Gay.com from
the Web, November 5, 2005
Los Angeles, CA Nov.4 -- East
Bakersfield High School students will publish a series of articles about sexual
orientation in the November edition of the award-winning school newspaper, The
Kernal, editors announced today.
The articles will be published November 4 as a result of an ongoing lawsuit
against the Kern High School District.
"I knew this day would come," said Maria Krauter, who wrote one of the articles
and planned and edited the other four in the series.
"We had the support of our parents, the parents of those interviewed, the entire
editorial staff, our journalism advisor and even the editorial board of the
Bakersfield Californian. I'm glad students at East will finally get to
read these important articles, even if it's a little late."
Students originally sought to publish the articles in the second to last edition
of the paper last school year, but could not after the principal demanded the
students pull the articles citing vague threats to gay students. The
student journalists and their sources went to court this spring, with the help
of the ACLU, seeking an order allowing them to publish the articles in the final
edition of the paper.
The court denied the request, stating that more information about the district's
reasons for censoring the articles was needed.
Over the summer and fall, school officials failed to produce evidence of their
claims that lesbian and gay students would be harmed as a result of the
publication of the articles.
The lawsuit also revealed the school took no steps to inform those students'
parents or the police officer assigned to the school of the alleged threats.
The school now has relented and informed The Kernal editorial board members that
the articles can be printed.
ACLU of Southern California staff attorney Christine P. Sun said that publishing
the articles, which included both the views of people supportive of gay and
lesbian rights and the views of those who have religious objections to
homosexuality, is long overdue.
"The principal was wrong to censor these well-researched, balanced articles
about a topic that affects teenagers today," Sun said.
"Not only were the threats the principal cited last spring unsubstantiated, but
the law is clear that the principal may not just throw up his hands and resort
to censorship when he is concerned about student safety. The right to free
speech requires that the principal protect students who want to speak out about
important issues, and not cede control of the campus to school bullies."
Janet Rangel, who graduated from East High last June and is a plaintiff in the
lawsuit, was interviewed for the story with her mother.
"When our principal said the articles on sexual orientation could not be
published in The Kernal it made me feel like I was back in the closet again,
hiding," Rangel said. "I'm glad that because we didn't back down the
articles will be printed. It's important for schools to be a place where
students learn and feel comfortable."
Meanwhile, in Orange Park, Florida, a high school principal has refused to allow
a student newspaper with a column titled "Homosexuality is not a Choice."
The action is the third instance in which high schools in the district have
become embroiled in anti-gay actions.
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