One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
LGBT Students Being Bullied By Staff at SoCal High School, Says ACLU
Photo by nito via Shutterstock
Students at a Southern California high school claim their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community has been the target of discrimination, and in this case, the perpetrators are among the school administration.
Now the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California has stepped in to the tumultuous waters at Hesperia's Sultana High, and have submitted an 11-page letter on behalf of the school's Gay Straight Alliance club that threatens legal action, according to the Huffington Post.
"Melissa Goodman, senior staff attorney with the ACLU chapter, said in an emailed statement that school administrators have allowed a climate against [LGBT] students to fester" at the school.
Allegations levied against school staff include claims the suppression of free speech, discrimination, and administrators making "insensitive or homophobic remarks regarding LGBT students." Additionally, the school's dress code "bans one student from wearing heels with his tuxedo and forbids two female students from wearing tuxedos."
The Huffington Post summarizes more of the club's claims regarding school officials:
The club accuses the school leadership of ostracizing its LGBT population by censoring discussion of LGBT issues within the school, ignoring complaints detailing harassment and bullying and selectively enforcing rules concerning public displays of affection.
An example of the bullying: "Amber Stanford, 17, a student at Sultana High, said in a phone interview she was in a class in January when a teacher told her classmate to 'take that gay headband off,'" reports Reuters.
Sponsored message
The GSA says the school will only refer to the club by its initials and not its full name over the PA during announcements, and that they have been not allowed to post flyers and posters in the school.
The ACLU is calling out the Sultana High School teachers and officials as "the primary bullies," in their letter, turning the tables on the typical tale of bullying.
In response to the letter, Hesperia Unified interim Superintendent David McLaughlin said the ACLU's claims and the club's plight have his "full and focused attention."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
