Posted on 03/20/2013 8:00:17 PM PDT by Morgana
CHAMBERSBURG, PA, March 20, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is threatening a Pennsylvania school district with legal action after the school board voted 5-4 to block the formation of a “Gay-Straight Alliance” (GSA) at a local high school.
The ACLU gave the Chambersburg Area School District a Wednesday deadline to reverse its decision before the ACLU moved forward with the suit. But on early Wednesday afternoon, a district representative who asked not to be named told LifeSiteNews by phone that the original decision to bar the club still stands.
As to whether the school board might yet change their minds in the face of legal action, the employee said, “No decision has been made at this time.”
The ACLU of Pennsylvania and homosexual advocacy group Equality PA originally wrote to the district on March 12 demanding they reverse their decision within three days, or be sued in federal court.
According to Witold Walczak, ACLU-PA legal director, the school board asked for a one-month extension. The ACLU gave them an extra five days to capitulate, giving them until today.
“What we asked them to do was authorize the club and give them all the benefits and privileges that extend to other clubs,” Walczak told Public Opinion News. “That's a non-negotiable request. They're either going to do it or not do it. They're either going to say it's done by [Wednesday] or say or it's not done.”
The ultimatum is characteristic of the group, which frequently hits small towns and school districts with surprise threats of legal action in a matter of days if their demands are not met. Walczak says their intimidation tactics usually work.
“We've never had to go to court on this issue,” Walczak, told Public Opinion. “We went back and pulled records on the issue. Since 2009, Chambersburg would be the fourth district we have had to send a letter to. All three settled before court.”
Walczak claims the board’s decision to ban the gay club was a violation of the federal Equal Access Act.
“If the school board allows any noncircular clubs, then they have to allow the Gay-Straight Alliance,” Walczak said. The school currently allows a Bible Club and other non-educational groups.
Gay-Straight Alliances have been a hot-button issue in Canada. In Ontario the recently passed Bill 13 has mandated that all schools, including Catholic schools, must allow Gay-Straight Alliances. The bill was amended at the 11th hour to make it clear that Catholic schools could not refuse the clubs, after the province’s Catholic bishops had expressed opposition.
After the passage of the bill, President Sam Hammond of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario said, “Just as all teachers are expected to stand up against racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, so too must they stand up and protect students from homophobia and transphobia.”
PING!
‘Transphobia’. That’s a new one to me.
As the legendary Bob Grant used to say: “It’s sick out there,folks, and getting sicker.”
How soon will Canada ban possession of any English-language or French-language translations of the Bible which include the verses condemning homosexual behavior? (They might ignore the Hebrew and Greek texts because so few people can read them.)
Question is will canaduh ban the Koran? More than a few read that!
So the ACLU managed to take time away from all its efforts defending persecuted Christian groups that have had their rights violated?
Oh, wait, they are usually the instigators of Christian persecution.
Why do our schools need sex clubs?
I wonder if the commies and Nazis down at the aCLU would tolerate a Christian-Atheist Alliance club. Probably not.
We can thank the 17th Amendment for this.
Absent the 17th, would the states have instructed their senators to allow this sort of meddling in their schools?
This ping list is for the “other” articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. Articles pinged to the Another Reason to Homeschool List will be given the keyword of ARTH. (If I remember. If I forget, please feel free to add it yourself)
The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.
27:54 And Lot! when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination knowingly ? But he "saved those who believed."I would love to see the reaction of the Canadian commission to a Muslim who put up a billboard with the above verse.27:55 Must ye needs lust after men instead of women ? Nay, but ye are folk who act senselessly. Male homosexuals commit abominations and act senselessly.
27:56 But the answer of his folk was naught save that they said: Expel the household of Lot from your township, for they (forsooth) are folk who would keep clean!
27:57 Then We saved him and his household save his wife; We destined her to be of those who stayed behind.
27:58 And We rained a rain upon them. Dreadful is the rain of those who have been warned.
If you see posts of interest to Pennsylvanians, please ping me.
Thanks!
Thanks Morgana for the heads up
In other local PA news (not in a newspaper) ... up the valley from Chambersburg where I live, my daughter's friend was removed from class at Cumberland Valley High School. She was in a class where they were learning about Islam. The class was being preached to by a thug union teacher about how, "we need to get along", the "religion of peace" and "diversity" amongst other things. Apparently my daughter's friend couldn't handle any more of the liberal tripe and spoke her opinion. She was immediately sent to the principal's office. She was threatened with suspension, but after talking the Lesbo principal off the cliff, she was given a warning.
There is a huge divide between so-called educators and everyday people in these parts. I can't wait for my elder daughter to graduate high school this June (my youngest daughter does cyber school). My elder daughter is a hard-core conservative. My next worry is how she will avoid brainwashing in college.
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