Students at the high school also wore signs showing their support for legislation that would recognize civil unions for same-sex couples in Connecticut, Vendetta said.
Vendetta is correct. Some students decided to take part in a day of silence, which was orchestrated by a NATIONAL organization, pushing an agenda. Thus, it was NATIONAL effort, involving public schools throughout the nation on an issue of NATIONAL interest and some students supported that agenda. Ok, so be it. However, other students then exercised their right to free speech in opposition to a NATIONAL agenda being promoted in public schools supportive of a lifestyle and practices with which they didn't agree, and someone got “offended.”
Also to be considered, was support from some students for “legislation” recognizing same sex unions. Fine. But once one side supports “legislation,” they are advocating a political act, and once it becomes “political” it also becomes a free speech issue, and those opposing a political act have an inherent First Amendment right of free speech in their opposition, and they cannot arbitrarily be silenced because others are “offended.”
Finally, if there were disruptions, it wasn’t being caused by Vendetta or Shinfield, it was caused by students who were being “intolerant” of their views. It is the students who were being “intolerant” who should have been sent home.
That's right. Obviously, the staff can't control the school. Everyone should feel "unsafe" if that's the situation.