High School Allows Students to Form Gay-Straight Alliance
July 13, 2009 — The ACLU represented Jessica Lewis and a number of her fellow students at Forest Grove High School, where they applied to form a Gay-Straight Alliance.
Ms. Lewis and the other students’ application was approved by the associated student body director and the assistant principal. However, the principal then denied their application, stating that the school already has a general anti-prejudice group, Students Organized Against Prejudice (S.O.A.P.). S.O.A.P. works against prejudice in general, and has lately devoted much of its attention to the crisis in Darfur.
The students then presented the principal with a petition signed by over 125 students requesting that the administration approve the GSA club, stating that:
“[w]hile S.O.A.P. club is an important part of the FGHS community, we, the undersigned believe that it’s [sic] mission addresses issues of discrimination and prejudice in a broad and world-wide sense,” whereas the GSA would be designed to “specifically address…discrimination against LGBT youth in [the Forest Grove] community.”
However, the principal again refused to allow the formation of a GSA.
On June 1, 2009, the ACLU sent a letter to Forest Grove High School asserting violations of the Equal Access Act and the Oregon Equality Act, and demanding that the school approve the GSA. On the next day, the GSA was approved. Next school year, gay and lesbian students at Forest Grove High School will have a voice on campus for tolerance and equality.
William Patton of Lane Powell was the ACLU cooperating attorney on this case.