Thursday, June 26, 2008

Reluctant School Board Accepts 'Gay Club' -- Principal Quits

Homosexual advocates not satisfied, and will challenge Board's decision to require parental permission for children to be a part of the homosexual advocacy group

-- From "Under board's decision, parents can still keep kids out of gay club" by Stewart Moore on WIS-TV10 6/24/08

IRMO, South Carolina (WIS) - High school students in one Midlands school district are in for some changes when they go back to school this fall.

At a meeting Monday night, Richland-Lexington District Five board members decided to allow the formation of non-academic clubs. That would include clubs like the Gay/Straight Alliance.

Plans for that club at Irmo High School in the district have caused a lot of controversy lately.

The school board says any student wishing to join any non-academic club must now have parent permission to do so.

That decision was made after the formation of the Gay/Straight Alliance club at Irmo High School sparked a nationwide debate.

[Ray Drew of South Carolina Equality, a homosexual advocacy organization,] says his group doesn't think suing the district over the change in policy would be helpful to anyone, but promises that any type of discrimination against students wishing to join the club would lead to just that.

"My group is already training students, teachers, parents and administrators at Irmo High School for what they should be looking for next year. Anything out of compliance with federal law, we are going to be watching everything," says Drew.

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