[Unimportant] AR Gay student suspended for telling

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Bias Warning: Link below is a gay site, which of course presents the oppertunity than an agenda is being furthered here. blah blah blah

 

http://365gay.com/NewsContent/031403arkBib...ibleStudent.htm

 

Jacksonville, Arkansas: An Arkansas teen outed by his high school to his parents, forced by a principal to read Bible passages condemning homosexuality, and ordered not to discuss his sexuality on school property is threatening to take the local school board to court.

 

“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,” said 14 year old Thomas McLaughlin.

 

“I’m through with being silenced, and I don’t want this happening to other gay kids at my school.”

 

The American Civil Liberties Union is representing the teen. In a letter to officials at Jacksonville Junior High School ACLU has 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.

 

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.

 

Fortunately for McLaughlin, his parents were accepting and understanding.

 

“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.”

 

On one occasion a teacher called a conference with McLaughlin’s parents and the principal because she objected to his being open about being gay. The meeting was the first time his parents found out he was gay.

 

On another occasion, 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.

 

When the student disagreed with yet another teacher for calling him “abnormal” and “unnatural” he was ordered to read aloud from the Bible passages that some Christians believe condemns homosexuality.

 

He was then suspended 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.

 

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.”

 

To detract those wanting to call bullshit, a second version of this story at a site with less bias in these matters is here

 

While I personally don't like it when people intentionally out themseles with people who could care less such as schoolmates, and also have questions of my own (he was outing, but his parents didn't know? *blink, blink*) but anyway, this poor kid's childhood innocence is over. He will be coached from here on out by the ACLU or others with an agenda.

 

And if its true that he was forced to read Bible passages, the teacher that did it should be fired immediately.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Regardless of orientation, it's a public school, and being forced to read passages then being suspended for telling people you did it on its own is seriously fucked up. In a close second is a teacher telling people that a certain class of people are abnormal and unnatural. Granted, as a minor, he doesn't have his constitutional rights yet. However, this is a violation of basic civil rights, which know no age boundaries.

 

I really hate living in the South sometimes.

[Guest Retro Rob]

While I personally don't like it when people intentionally out themseles with people who could care less such as schoolmates, and also have questions of my own (he was outing, but his parents didn't know? *blink, blink*) but anyway, this poor kid's childhood innocence is over. He will be coached from here on out by the ACLU or others with an agenda.

 

And if its true that he was forced to read Bible passages, the teacher that did it should be fired immediately.

Generally when someone comes out, the last people to know are there families.

 

Anyway, as for the issue itself, that is fucking unbelievable. I can't believe that there are that many fucking bigots "leading" a public school. The kid is going to win whatever he sues for if this does end up going to court (which it should). Damn, that kid is only 14 and his life has already been turned upside down.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

I support expulsion or suspension of outed homosexuals, as for myself and many many others that sort of behavior is very disconcerting to the school environment.

[Guest Choken One]

We had a lot of Open Gays when I went to school...We are all mature enough not to make a big deal of it...

 

Czech You are an complete Idiot...Expelling a Gay Student because he is gay? If the students aren't immature Idiots...They can certaintly live with this...

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

If you go to a private school, Czech, than maybe--MAYBE--you have thinnest thread to argue that on.

 

Public school, no. His family pays taxes too. Who cares if he likes men? If you can't get over that, then you've got bigger problems than a "disconcerting school environment."

[Guest EricMM]

czech why is it such a big deal to you?

[Guest Choken One]

He has repressed Homosexual desires...

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I support expulsion or suspension of outed homosexuals, as for myself and many many others that sort of behavior is very disconcerting to the school environment.

Wow, that is one of the most ignorant statements I have ever read. For one thing, it was the school that outed the student and then humiliated him. Fortunately his family was understanding. You appear to not get the concept that gays don't choose to be gay! Gays are born gay, no one ever would choose to be something that suffers from being descriminated, sometimes to the point of death in worse cases. It's so unlogical to think otherwise.

 

And what is even more disconcering is the fact that the school imposed religion on the kid, thinking that somehow prayers are going "convert" him back to being straight. I personally think the teacher, principal, and vice principal should be canned immediately. If they want their students to practice prayer and be humiliated when one happens to come out of the closet, then they can go get jobs at a religious private school and do what ever they feel will "save" their students.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Some people are uncomfortable around gays.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I believe that he was joking, if not....than he's just a weird individual.

 

Onto this specific case though, and I feel that the kid should get whatever amount of money that he wants, along with the principal being fired.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Some people are uncomfortable around gays.

Than they should learn to grow the fuck up.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Bringing the bible into it turned the situation even more messy. Considering he made him read certain passages out loud in front of class. What if the kid would have said, "who gives a shit what the bible says" ? I could only imagine what the teacher would then do.

[Guest Retro Rob]

Some people are uncomfortable around gays.

That may be so, but it's not an excuse to expell gays from PUBLIC schools. If you are uncomfortable, than don't talk to the person. Simple as that.

[Guest Retro Rob]

I support expulsion or suspension of outed homosexuals, as for myself and many many others that sort of behavior is very disconcerting to the school environment.

I don't think the group of bigots in this country is as large as you believe it is. Many, many, schools have open homosexuals with no problems resulting. Therefore I don't think "many many others" have that big of a problem with a gay kid in school. At least not many school-aged kids/teens, who are really the only people who would be concerned in this situation.

[Guest teke184]

My view is that he's got a slam-dunk case that will pay for his college education and then some. School officials taking it upon themselves to cold-call his parents and say "Oh, by the way, YOUR SON IS GAY" or make this kid read Bible passages aloud because of his personal life are not only wrong but fucking STUPID, even being in a backwards Southern state. (I live in Louisiana and even OUR dumbass underpaid public school teachers aren't THAT stupid) It's a blatant violation of the seperation of church and state as well as a large violation of the kid's privacy imho.

 

As for my high school, there were a large number of kids who came out of the closet my senior year. It was understandable in a few cases because there was at least one guy I was friends with who everyone "knew" about for years and we were happy for him. (Not to seem like an asshole on this, but his parents knew about it for YEARS and had given him a Playboy subscription in the 4th grade in order to try and convince him he was straight instead)

 

What pissed me off, though, were the people who did it for attention. At least one of them quietly decided she was straight again after making a HUGE deal of coming out and had been making out with her girlfriend at school and on sports trips for months.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

I support expulsion or suspension of outed homosexuals, as for myself and many many others that sort of behavior is very disconcerting to the school environment.

I support the expulsion or suspension of ignorant, immature bigots, as I and many others feel their behavior is very disconcerting to the school environment.

[Guest DrTom]

There are times I definitely dislike the ACLU, but I'll give them props for taking a case like this. There's simply no excuse for the behavior of *adults* toward a *child* who is entrusted to their care for 40 or so hours a week. Hell, if I were this kid and his family, I'd be suing the school board and the state for a few million dollars. Even settled out of court, he'll get a free ride thru college and a nice house to live in.

[Guest Sandman9000]

Some people are uncomfortable around gays.

You want to learn how to become comfortable around gays then? Spend time with them. The HR of my dorm is admittedly gay. He is also my suitemate, and our rooms are connected with a shower and toliet inbetween. He is also one of the better human beings I have ever met, far better then what I could ever claim being. NEVER once have I ever worried that "he's going to come in when I'm in the shower and rape me" or other ignorant and shallow-minded shit. He's human, I'm human, and I don't care who or what he wants to screw, I'm going to respect him.

 

As for this kid, if he was black and discriminated in a similar fashion, there would be no end to the outrage. Sooner or later, gays will become an accepted part of our culture, another civil rights movement will have been successful, and the bigots will have to find someone else to hate.

[Guest My Eyebrow is on fire]

Even though I'm a huge homophobe - I've got to admit that, technically, it's illegal to discriminate against someone due to their sexuality. This is supposed to be, as per the constitution, a secular and FREE country.

 

If he wants to strut around in a Ric Flair robe and lisp his gossip sitting at the girls' lunch table, then let his gay ass do it. As long as he keeps his grades up and doesn't harrass anyone - just like straight people are expected to do.

[Guest phoenixrising]

Now this is a reason why the ACLU exists and can actually do some good. Obviously the principal and the teachers figured that continued bullying would keep the kid quiet and they miscalculated. Even worse was that they outed him to his parents. That could have been a nasty situation and it's good that his parents were so understanding and supportive. The amusing part would be seeing the school board try to defend the actions of its employees. For sure, all of them are finished at that particular school.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Now this is a reason why the ACLU exists and can actually do some good. Obviously the principal and the teachers figured that continued bullying would keep the kid quiet and they miscalculated. Even worse was that they outed him to his parents. That could have been a nasty situation and it's good that his parents were so understanding and supportive. The amusing part would be seeing the school board try to defend the actions of its employees. For sure, all of them are finished at that particular school.

Yah, what a great by example for the students by the teacher in a lesson how to bully someone. People wonder why bullies exsist amongst teenagers.

[Guest Choken One]

I still look at Parents first before Teachers...

 

Seeing how this shit went down in the Wasteland of America, Arkansas...It doesn't shock me...

[Guest NoCalMike]

I still look at Parents first before Teachers...

 

Seeing how this shit went down in the Wasteland of America, Arkansas...It doesn't shock me...

Yep. I meant more Adults as a whole, rather than just the teacher. I am sure there are cases out there where a kid has had everything right and still turned out bad, but in the majority of cases, behaivors are LEARNED.

[Guest Galactic Gigolo]

In my high school we have FRESHMEN who are openly gay. I'm friends with a couple of them, and there are some funny moments where I call them a cocksmoker or something like that, not because they're gay, just because I pulled an insult out of my head that I'd say to anyone.

 

But they're all cool with me because one of the Mormon kids was messing with one of the puny gay kids and I beat the crap out of him.

[Guest Choken One]

Gays and MORMONS! HOLY SHIT!

[Guest WhenDanSaysJump]

What pissed me off, though, were the people who did it for attention. At least one of them quietly decided she was straight again after making a HUGE deal of coming out and had been making out with her girlfriend at school and on sports trips for months.

You went to school with Anne Heche?

[Guest TheGame2705]

ALOT of Mormon boys are surpressed gays. He may have just been taking out his frustrations on someone who could be out.

[Guest El Satanico]

Humans are so fucking stupid

[Guest teke184]

What pissed me off, though, were the people who did it for attention.  At least one of them quietly decided she was straight again after making a HUGE deal of coming out and had been making out with her girlfriend at school and on sports trips for months.

You went to school with Anne Heche?

No, this one wasn't QUITE that fucked in the head... she never invented her own language to my knowledge.