Free Republic

A student from a small Florida town has sued her high school principal, the dean of students and the local school board in federal court because, she claims, she was suspended last year for participating in a popular national “Day of Silence” — a protest against anti-gay bullying. The New Times Broward-Palm Beach, an alternative weekly newspaper, first broke the story. The student, 15-year-old Amber Hatch, claims she sought permission — via a letter — to participate. Shannon Fusco, the principal of DeSoto County High School, turned down the request. “Peaceful protests are against district policy,” Fusco allegedly explained. Fusco...

Mitt Romney: The November Surprise by Carol Turoff January 14. 2006 An unlikely package of contrasts emerges from Leftachusetts. In a state that has kept dependable liberals Ted Kennedy (first elected in 1962) and John Kerry (1984) in the senate and Barney Frank (serving since 1980) among its congressional representatives, an atypical political figure has emerged on the Massachusetts horizon. Never previously having held elective office, Gov. Mitt Romney was elected in 2002 with a decisive margin. The son of George Romney, a former Cabinet member who served three terms as governor of Michigan, Mitt presents an intriguing Republican persona...