Michigan Parents Attack High School Non-Harrassment Policy
Detroit Free Press of May 11, 2005 reports
Click here to send an e-mail of support to the Troy School Board and the administration of Troy High School.
Congratulate them on the policy stated on the home page of the Troy High School website, "Respect Everyone, Everything, Every Day."
Tell them they've been doing the right thing all along and that you encourage them to continue doing the right thing in the face of a few parents who want to encourage children to harrass gay and lesbian students.
"a Troy High School classroom poster with a message that "gay people are everyday people," has ignited protests from some parents at the suburban Detroit school.
One of the parents, Anthony Cruz, 49, said he expects about 80 people to join the protest at the next Troy School Board meeting, on May 17. He said the problem with the poster is that the school is supposed to concentrate on academics and leave other matters for after-school time and activities.
Instead, the classroom poster has a "a captive audience," in students, Cruz told The Daily Tribune of Royal Oak. He has two daughters at the school.
Troy School District spokesman Tim McAvoy said Superintendent Janet H. Jopke has met with some parents over the poster and will continue to talk to them about it. He said the poster promotes safety and tolerance.
"We do not allow our students to be harassed for any reason. It is an issue of tolerance," McAvoy said."
Click here to send an e-mail of support to the Troy School Board and the administration of Troy High School.
Congratulate them on the policy stated on the home page of the Troy High School website, "Respect Everyone, Everything, Every Day."
Tell them they've been doing the right thing all along and that you encourage them to continue doing the right thing in the face of a few parents who want to encourage children to harrass gay and lesbian students.
posted by Mike in Texas Permalink
1 Comments:
At 11:39 AM,
Mike in Texas said…
My letter
Members of Troy School Board and Troy High School Administration:
I recently came across an article in the Detroit Free Press, School poster urging tolerance of gays riles suburban Detroit parents. How unfortunate that a group of intolerant parents has attacked you for upholding the policy stated so nicely on the Troy High School home page, "Respect Everyone, Everything, Every Day."
I think you've been doing the right thing all along. And I expect people like you to continue doing the right thing despite pressure from those who think it's perfectly OK when gay and lesbian students are harrassed at school. I'm sure I don't have to direct you to the various studies showing the huge numbers of gay and lesbian students who endure harrassment on a regular basis, or how the harrassment has a negative impact on their studies, or how some students have been driven to suicide because of it. If you didn't already know those things you wouldn't have taken measures to prevent them from taking place in your own schools.
Keep up the good fight. And please be prepared for a barrage of misleading anti-gay materials at your upcoming meeting. If you're not familiar with the studies I've referred to, here's a good place to start. Academic Performance and College Aspirations Suffer When Harassment Goes Unchecked at http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/1413.html
Post a Comment
<< Home