Posted on 05/13/2002 3:10:36 AM PDT by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - A St. Louis, Mo. mom is suing the public high school that blocked her from observing a school-sponsored assembly conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Debra Loveless had told school officials she considered the event inappropriate, but was trying to view it herself on Oct. 24, 2001 when she was escorted out of the assembly, according to Loveless' attorneys, who have filed the federal civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Loveless' daughter attends Metro High School.
GLSEN bills itself as the country's largest network of parents, students and educators aimed at preventing "discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender/identity expression in K-12 schools," according to its website.
GLSEN did not return phone calls to CNSNews.com.
The group conducted two assemblies at Metro High School, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24 of last year, both of which Loveless' daughter was exempted from attending because of the family's religious beliefs, according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the public interest law firm representing Loveless.
However, when, at the urging of a school board member, Loveless attempted to attend the Oct. 24 event, she was ejected by an armed security guard, the ACLJ stated.
Francis J. Manion, senior counsel for the ACLJ, said parents should be able to participate in activities at a public school to see if it is appropriate for their children.
"This case is about protecting the rights of parents to participate fully in the education of their children," he said. "Parents do not abandon their rights as parents once their children go to school. Parents have a right to know what a school is teaching their children, and should not be punished for exercising their parental responsibilities. That's exactly what happened in this case."
The ACLJ lawsuit contends that school officials deprived Loveless of her parental right to be fully informed of the content of her daughter's education. The suit also claims Loveless' constitutional rights of free speech and equal protection was infringed.
Manion believes there were ulterior motives to blocking Loveless from attending the assembly.
"The real reason we believe our client was not permitted to observe the school assembly is because the school did not like her religious objections to the assembly," said Manion. "The only thing our client wanted was an apology and a change in the school policy governing the rights of parents to observe school assemblies.
"After Mrs. Loveless was ejected from the assembly, she had no choice but to file suit - to ensure that no other parent in St. Louis is treated in the same manner," he added.
The lawsuit names as defendants the superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools and the principal of Metro High School.
CNSNews.com attempted to contact Metro High School Principal Dr. Pamela Randall, but she was away from the campus and unavailable for comment. The Metro High School Instructional Coordinator refused comment Friday, saying she was unaware of any lawsuit.
E-mail a news tip to Matt Pyeatt.
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I hate to see lawsuits like this but I hope the mom wins. GLSEN shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a school yard.
They should be.
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You really think so? I would have thought a liberal like you would have no problem with them.
...in lieu of logic.
I think JG is ignoring this small fact.
Now you're making things up. Did you skip the sentence that stated she attended "at the urging of a school board member"?
It was not in the thread-starting article.
My apologies. I had a lot of replies yesterday, mostly ignorable, and some "don't want to go there" thoughts slipped out.
For all this talk of the woman's rights as a parent and a taxpayer, my position would remain the same if it were Exodus International sponsoring the assembly and a GLSTEN-parent who was ejected. I don't know if that applies to you or not, but there it is.
If you don't mind blindly paying taxes or being told to stay out of publicly funded institutions , that is your business. If you embrace total government control over your life and your children's lives ( if you had any) that again is your choice.
I don't think you should mind that another American would want to exercise their right though.
The reason why we are the home of the free and the land of the brave is not because of people like you who run away from demanding their rights under the law, and who hand their children over to the socialists at government schools to be brainwashed without a fight.
Someday, God willing, the people in power at places like government schools might be conservatives, and then people like you would have to think for yourselves and not just follow the path of least resistance laid out by the liberals and socialists.
One point that has been ignored is that people like you are usually the first to say to a complaining parent, typically in a shrill voice, "How do you know what was said and that it was bad!? Did you actually attend the assembly yourself? Did you hear what the presenters had to say!!??" But when a parent actually does try to hear it for themselves, you attack them as someone who only attended the assembly for the reason of disruption.
Typical shameless liberal tactics. Now, bugger off back to DUh.
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