Monday, November 22, 2010 at 8:54:00 PM EST
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"Quality learning in a caring climate"... unless you're gay.
Remember my recent post called, "Northern Ohio High School Allows Homophobic Football Chant"? If not, you can view it here - otherwise, none of this is going to make sense.
Last month, when school rivals Willoughby South and Eastlake North faced each other for a high school football game, students chanted homophobic remarks back and forth to discourage the other's team. Such phrases were, "Powder Blue Faggots" and "Halloween Homos" (one team wears light blue while the other sports orange and black colors).
In response to the media attention this has brought to the school, district staff are playing over the same old excuse - "kids will be kids." To top it all off, the blame is now being shifted to the press rather than the students who participated. School officials believe they are receiving an undeserved, negative reputation. Is it really so undeserved?
Two people with ties to the district, Eastlake alum and lawyer Jim Helmink and Eastlake biology teacher Rhonda Kesling, have decided that enough is enough. Recently, Helmink and Kesling asked the school board to amend the district's anti-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation.
They were given the cold shoulder. Ignored.
"If they don't want to vote on it based on legitimate concerns, that's one thing," states Helmink. "But right now they're just ignoring it."
Kesling, a 26 year-old veteran of the district, says, "It's two words. What can it hurt? Two words that will protect our students." ("Lesbian" and "Gay")
Once again, here is the information for Eastlake North High School and Willoughby South High School. Use the same contacts for both. If you have an update on these contacts, please comment them below to let me know.
The petition - http://www.change.org/petitions/view/end_the_anti-gay_fight_song_at_eastlake_north_high_school
Suggestion entries: http://www.weschools.org/contact.cfm
Principal Chauby’s email: jen.chauby@weschools.org
School Address: 34041 Stevens Boulevard Eastlake, Ohio 44095
Phone: 440-975-3669
Fax: 440--975-3671
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by GarrettMize
by AFY_Samantha
by AFY_Samantha
by AFY_Samantha
by AFY_Samantha
That's so true in our school systems today it's scary. :(
Our district doesn't have any rules about bullying because of sexual orientation (that I know of--even of we do, we sure as heck don't enforce them), infact, there are several teachers at my school that encourage it!! D:
"Powder Blue Faggots"? "Halloween Homos"? Is that REALLY necessary?! Seriously, I know because "fag" & "homo" are words that are frequented (in an insulting manner) in society nowadays, but that doesn't make them "ok to use."
I've said this about someone else's principal before for being an idiot, & I'll say it about this school's principal: "He's a total git stack."