In Irmo, South Carolina, Irmo High School Principal Eddie Walker says he will resign effective at the end of the 2008-09 school year after the school district told him to allow the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance chapter at the school. WIS-TV reports school district attorneys determined that under the federal Equal Access Act, either the club must be permitted or all non-curricular organizations would need to be banned. In a letter (full text) announcing his resignation, Walker said: "My decision to resign is a personal choice based on my professional beliefs and religious convictions. I have prayed about the decision for a period of time and I have a peace about it.... I bear no malice towards anyone involved. If the people involved at the district level had chosen not to allow the club to form I am sure the district would have been sued and ... in all likelihood ... would have lost."
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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Yes, they most certainly would and should have lost. See, e.g., Straight and Gays for Equality v. Ossea Area Schools, 471 F.3d 908 (8th Cir. 2006)(school violated Equal Access Act by refusing to give student group advocating tolerance the same rights as other extracurricular groups).
Hopefully, the Bible clubs are also allowed at this school
Most schools have their Christian clubs like campus life --and young life --meet off campus. But if a school admits other extracurricular clubs, the Christians are entitled to get an on-campus club also.
I wonder what job Eddie Walker will find. A brave man of his convictions.
Yeah, so "brave" that he's giving himself another year in the job, rather than resigning immediately. Some convictions!
And gay does not equal religious. You can't equate gay students with bible clubs.
Legally, they are the same. I'm sure they have bible clubs at the school. It doesn't violate Establishment to allow religious groups to meet on government property, so long as non-religious groups get the exact same treatment.
It's all so sad. These kids can't spell or find Canada on a map but they they can make time to sit around and talk about what kind of sex they like. This use of naive children as pawns for activist teachers and outsiders is a crime.
The Bible clubs aren't allowed faculty membership/sponsorship, or outside leadership last I heard --lest it appear to be "state establishment." Which may be why Campus LIfe meets off campus. So there shouldn't be faculty or outside leadership in the gay club --BUT there really OUGHT to be an adult chaperone for any groups meeting in the school --liability concerns either way.
I just wish someone could speak to a gay club about the fact that a gay thought doesn't determine who they are
"...they can make time to sit around and talk about what kind of sex they like."
Are you speaking from personal experience, booger? You know this for a fact, do you?
"I just wish someone could speak to a gay club about the fact that a gay thought doesn't determine who they are"
A gay thought? A gay thought? And what, pray tell, is a "gay" thought?
Doh! a feeling of same -sex attraction. Admiration of members of the same sex physically and not members of the opposite sex.
I think such a feeling of attraction shouldn't make one conclude that he's any more than a typical sinner tempted to do wrong --to lust. Granted, i don't understand same sex lust to the exclusion of opposite sex lust --but I'm sure there are reasons in the child's history.
Nice message this resignation sends to the students at his school. Instead of acting with honour and integrity by simply stating that he was resigning because his religious beliefs would not allow him to continue to work within the public school system, he singles out the GSA as the reason. So much for his claim that he supports ALL the students at his school.
Barb,
do you actually beleive what you are saying, and if so, can you tell me when you made the decision to be straight? Did you wake up one day and realize or was it always inherent in you?
I'm sure i believe what I'm saying.
I loved boys from the first grade on --I remember having crushes.
I also loved my girlfriends jealously --wanted to be "best friends."
So if the sex educator came to class, I might've gotten the idea I was bisexual.
But I never gave it a thought that I would want to be a princess with a princess. I wanted a prince. But my admiration and feelings for same sex friends was intense. I think someone could have confused me --but we never HEARD of homosexuality --not until jr. high in my case. And they talked about Queer's Day was Thursday --don't wear yellow then or you are queer.
"So if the sex educator came to class, I might've gotten the idea I was bisexual."
You are sooooooo uninformed about sexuality...
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