Vineland High School in NJ lifts ban on LGBT websites after pressure from ACLU

The Vineland High School in Cumberland County has become the first in New Jersey to be targeted by the American Civil Liberties Union for illegally blocking pro-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-related websites on its school computers.

The district had recently disabled a filter that was blocking its students from visiting websites related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

The filter even kept Vineland High School junior Justin Rodriguez from doing research on Harvey Milk, one of the country's first openly gay elected officials.

It isn't clear how long the filter has been in place, but the district removed it March 31 following complaints from students and staff, and days after the ACLU of New Jersey filed an Open Public Records Act request seeking documents on the matter.

According to The Press of Atlantic City, the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act requires school districts to install blocking software or forfeit federal e-rate funds for technology. The law means to protect children in school from pornographic or other age-inappropriate websites, but schools also block non-educational sites, including gaming sites and Facebook.

Vineland Public Schools uses software by Blue Coat Systems Inc. that blocks access to any websites with content related to 26 particular categories, according to The Daily Journal. LGBT was on that list, along with content involving pornography, nudity, gambling and illegal drugs.

Over the years, Rodriguez took his concerns to school staff and administrators. Rodriguez wanted the LGBT filter removed altogether because they felt it sent the wrong message.

The ACLU contacted Rodriguez last month after he filled out a survey on the organization's website for the "Don't Filter Me" campaign, which aims to combat illegal censorship of pro-LGBT information on public school computer systems.

On April 1, Rodriguez was called into Assistant Principal Richard Panas' office and told the LGBT filter had been fully removed.

An Associated Press story on NJ.com reports the ACLU and Yale Law School have been pushing schools to drop similar filters. Vineland was the first district in New Jersey that the campaign targeted.

Rodriguez is now coordinating the high school Gay Straight Alliance’s annual Day of Silence project Friday. Vineland and Cumberland Regional high schools are participating in the national project sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to raise awareness of the bullying and harassment of LGBT students.

Those sites spew the sickest and most vile of porno

I don’t know how the school will ever be able to block it

2 posted on 04/13/2011 12:40:32 PM PDT by silverleaf (All that is necessary for evil to succeed, is that good men do nothing)

The filter even kept Vineland High School junior Justin Rodriguez from doing research on Harvey Milk,

Why? Justin couldn't do his research at home or at the public library, or use books? The filter blocked Wikipedia, newspaper archives, and other general information sources?

When I was a student, you did research on your own time, not during school hours.

3 posted on 04/13/2011 12:43:34 PM PDT by Tax-chick (If you believe, you will see the glory of God.)

Oh, that sounds like a good idea.

If your kids are still in public schools, pull them out now. The savages have given you ample warning.

4 posted on 04/13/2011 12:43:38 PM PDT by Antoninus (Fight the homosexual agenda. Support marriage -- www.nationformarriage.org)

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