Memphis principal outs gay students

[villager]

Memphis principal outs gay students

Less than a week after the annual Day of Silence action, a principal in Memphis displayed a list of couples in the high school -- including gay couples, outing some of the students. The ACLU is suing the school on behalf of two of the students.

In September of 2007, the principal at Hollis F. Price Middle College High told teachers she wanted the names of all student couples, "hetero and homo," because she wanted to monitor them personally to prevent students from engaging in public displays of affection. The two students now represented by the ACLU, Andrew and Nicholas (who have asked that their last names not be revealed), were two A students who had been seeing each other for a short time and were attempting to keep their relationship quiet and private. The principal heard about them through another student, then wrote their names on a list she posted next to her desk, in full view of anyone who entered her office.

ABC News reports,

"I really feel that my personal privacy was invaded," Nicholas, one of the young men who claims his sexuality was exposed without his approval by his principal, told ABC News' Memphis affiliate Eyewitness News Everywhere. "I mean, Principal Beasley called my mother and outted me to my mother!"

"It was actually frightening," Nicholas said of the incident, which occurred in Fall 2007, "to see a list with my name on it where not just other teachers could see but students as well."

Of course it was frightening, giving recent events like the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King, who was killed by a classmate because he was non-gender-conforming. And a recent report shows anti-gay hate crimes remain a big problem in Tennessee.

<snip>

http://feministing.com/archives/009127.html

[OmahaBlueDog]

1. Once again, you're going to see conservatives assert that preference and privacy aren't protected..

I'm sure James Dobson is dancing a little jig right now.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. I'm so glad that our school administrations are focusing on everything except education.

Man, not like the old days, when the fuckers kept pushing their "education" agenda on kids.

Finally, they're doing what they should be doing - preparing the kids for living in the prisons they're gonna end up in as adults for expressing creativity, failing to find one of the 4 jobs left that doesn't lead to bankruptcy, or for having the audacity to get sick with no health insurance.

[NanceGreggs]

3. Wish I could REC that reply ... n/t

[villager]

5. I'm rec'ing it! ;-)

n/t

[Botany]

6. at my old high school that principal would have gotten beat up.

" ...she wanted the names of all student couples, "hetero and homo," because she wanted to monitor them personally to prevent students from engaging in public displays of affection ...."

How about a rule against PDA in the school and move on w/ their jobs?

[Chipper Chat]

4. The principal has just revealed her inner self.

She is secretly obsessed with sex. (And lesbian sex at that)

[angrycarpenter]

7. Some people become educators because they hate kids

What kind of busybody even cares?

They didn't want public displays of affection. What is their policy on administrative displays of contempt?

[Trillo]

11. Perhaps.

One of the more frustrating aspects of compulsory K-12 schools is that no matter how much damage is done to any kid or group of kids, by any single one or group of administrators, teachers, or other students, the official response as well as the cultural and social dynamic is essentially heartless and without any depth of empathy – the harmed ones must continue with their education and within the same system that harmed them. The route of escape and relief from tyranny is barricaded securely.

If one is endowed by the creator with the right to pursue happiness, and schools, whether private or public, take that away from any, then those words in the Declaration of Independence are without honest intent or meaning for them.

Perhaps that is the lesson educators have been trying so hard to drill into us, without actually stating it explicitly. Is it any wonder that only 25% decide to continue to and complete college and identify with a greater cultural and economic dynamic that systematically parasitizes the other 75% for the rest of their lives?

---

Here's a link to an earlier discussion:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3289444#3292828

[AlCzervik]

8. She should be fired immediately and i don't believe for a second she was also

going to monitor the straight kids as well. A witch hunt and noting more.

[sandsavage]

9. I listened to this

today on the news. Hearing Nicholas's voice tell this, was just heart breaking.
The principal needs to be fired. This is abuse, she should be brought up on
charges for abuse and endangerment of children. This old lady is mad as heck and
that women needs a smack upside the head. What a piece of poop she is.

[medeak]

10. girls pretend to be lesbians in my town

hold hands...it's currently the cool thing to do to avoid pressure to have sex from boys.

can't imagine them all being labeled so young.

[smokey nj]

12. There's a place in hell for this woman. She potentially put those kids' lives in danger.

[yella_dawg]

13. There's a lot of high school aged gay couples engaged in public display of affection?

Who knew?

[LWolf]

14. What a violation.

:grr:

[JBoy]

15. That principal needs her ass fired and sued. Or sued and fired.

[Elspeth]

16. "she wanted the names of all student couples, "hetero and homo," because she wanted to monitor them"

WHAT??

She sounds like a sick bastard. Guilty until proven not guilty by monitoring?

This is not only a gay issue, although the gay students were certainly more at risk. Straight couples should also sue.

[chill_wind]

17. What a tyrant! She demanded the list of names on the school intercom.

"The ACLU claims in a letter to the Memphis City Schools dated April 29 that the principal requested over the school intercom system that all the teachers and staff provide her with the names of students who were a couple, "hetero or homo."

There's a problem in that school not just with the principal, but with the admin and teaching staff that cooperated.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/national_world&id=6114922#bodyText

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Keep the kids at the school + make Principal Mouth responsible for everything. n/t