No "Queer Eye" at North Carolina High School

[Pookie]

No "Queer Eye" at North Carolina High School


April 26, 2004

ACLU Blasts School Officials for Illegally Censoring Gay Student

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union has come to the aid of a gay student at James Baxter Hunt, Jr. High School in Wilson, North Carolina, criticizing the school for removing two posters promoting his campaign for student body president and demanding that it take steps to remedy its illegal censorship.

“All I wanted to do was be open about who I am and let other students know that if they elect me president I'll welcome and accept diversity and a variety of ideas,” said Jarred Gamwell, a 17-year-old junior who hopes to become an English teacher. He added, “I’m ready to fight for the rights of students at my school, but I didn't expect to have to fight for my own rights first.”

On Tuesday, April 20, Jarred put up some campaign posters, as all the candidates are allowed to do, and went to his Honors Band class. When his class ended, Jarred discovered two of the posters -- one with the slogan “Queer Eye for Hunt High” and another reading “Gay Guys Know Everything!” -- had been taken down. Jarred went to school administrators and discovered that it was Principal Bill Williamson who had ordered the removal of the posters.

The next day, Jarred met with Williamson and asked why the posters were taken down. The principal refused to answer, so Jarred left a list of questions about why the posters had been removed and asked for a response in writing. Williamson let Jarred take the posters when he left. On Thursday, Jarred asked again, but Williamson again refused to answer any questions about the incident, telling Jarred that principals don't have to explain their actions to students. No other candidates’ posters have been taken down by school officials.

“Without any explanation whatsoever, the principal of Hunt High School has tried to stop Jarred Gamwell from being open and honest with his fellow students about his life and identity -- a blatant violation of his First Amendment right to free expression,” said Leslie Cooper, a staff attorney with the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project. She added, “The Supreme Court has long held that high school students – including gay students – are protected by the Constitution.”

In its letter to the school, the ACLU asks that Hunt High School do two things to correct its violation of Jarred’s rights:

- Permit Jarred to put the two posters back up immediately, and

- Allow Jarred to convey the messages that were kept from the student body and talk about the censorship that has taken place in his campaign speech, scheduled along with the other candidates for tomorrow afternoon.

School officials have informed the ACLU that they will respond to its letter later this afternoon.

The letter sent this morning to James Baxter Hunt, Jr. High School follows:

--------------

April 26, 2004

By Facsimile
Principal Bill Williamson
James Baxter Hunt Jr. High School
4559 Lamm Road
Wilson, North Carolina 27893
Fax: 252-399-7897

Re: Jarred Gamwell

Dear Principal Williamson:

I am writing on behalf of Jarred Gamwell, a junior at Hunt High School, regarding the censorship of posters he displayed as part of his campaign for president of the Student Government Association (“SGA”).

Specifically, I have been advised that the following events occurred:

During the week of April 19-23, like other students running for SGA offices, Jarred campaigned by making posters and hanging them in the halls of the school. Most of his posters and those made by other candidates remained on display in the hallways for the full week.

However, two of Jarred’s posters were removed shortly after they were put up. One read “Vote Jarred Gamwell for SGA president,” followed by the slogan “Queer Eye for Hunt High.” The other stated “Vote Jarred Gamwell for SGA President, Gay Guys Know Everything!” (A photograph of the two posters is attached.) Jarred put up these two posters during the morning on April 20 and he noticed that they had been removed by the end of the next class block.

That afternoon, Jarred was summoned to Vice Principal Harris’ office. Mr. Harris had the two missing posters and told Jarred that they could not be displayed. When Jarred asked why, Mr. Harris advised him to take the matter up with you.

The next day, April 21, Jarred met with you to discuss the removal of his posters. You told him that the posters had been taken down at your initiative. Jarred explained to you why it was important for him to include these messages in his campaign for SGA president: he wanted the student voters to get to know him and see his pride; he wanted to convey the message that he would not discriminate if elected SGA president; and he thought they were catchy slogans. He asked you both verbally and in writing why the posters could not be displayed but you would not give him an explanation.

The following day, April 22, Jarred went to meet with you again and you still refused to let him display the two posters and you still refused to provide him with an explanation for the censorship of these campaign messages.

The school administration’s removal of these two campaign posters is a clear violation of Jarred’s constitutional right to free expression. The Supreme Court has made it clear that students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate. Hunt High School established a forum for SGA candidates to campaign-hanging posters in the school hallways-but censored Jarred’s campaign messages with no justification. The First Amendment prohibits such conduct by school officials.

We demand that you remedy this constitutional violation by permitting Jarred to put the two posters back up in the school halls between now and the election, which is scheduled to take place first thing in the morning on Wednesday, April 27. Since at most this would give him only two days to convey the messages that he intended to have posted for four days, we further demand that you permit Jarred to amend his campaign speech that he will deliver on Tuesday in order to convey the censored messages and to discuss the censorship that took place.

We need to hear back from you by noon today or we will take whatever action we deem appropriate to protect Jarred’s rights. You can reach me at (direct phone number redacted).

Sincerely,

Leslie Cooper
Staff Attorney

Source: http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?ID=15537&c=106&cfnocache=true

Jarred Gamwell beside his censored campaign posters
http://www.aclu.org/images/client/Gamwell2.jpg

 

[apexpark]

jared is so fucking annoying. does he really have to shove his homosexuality in everyones face? watch- he loses and demands a recount because hes gay.

 

[Jessalynvix]

jared is so fucking annoying. does he really have to shove his homosexuality in everyones face? watch- he loses and demands a recount because hes gay.

he just doesn't want to hide the fact that he is gay

 

[apexpark]

he just doesn't want to hide the fact that he is gay

thats nice, but what does sexual preferance have to do with his elegibility to be in office?

 

[Angel]

I think he was using it to identify himself with diversity and that was his campaign idea. Didn't sound like shoving it anywhere.

 

[Pookie]

I think he was using it to identify himself with diversity and that was his campaign idea. Didn't sound like shoving it anywhere.

I agree. Also, it was only two of his posters.

 

[Pookie]

An update ...

ACLU Sues North Carolina High School for Silencing Gay Student

April 27, 2004

Student Candidate’s “Queer Eye” Poster Illegally Removed by School Officials

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a state superior court to end school officials’ attempts to censor a gay student’s campaign posters promoting his run for student body president. The posters – one with the slogan, “Queer Eye for Hunt High” and another reading, “Gay Guys Know Everything” – were removed by administrators at James Baxter Hunt Jr. High School in Wilson, North Carolina.

“At first, I just wanted to know why these two posters were taken down when dozens of others were still up in our hallways, but now I feel it’s important to stand up for my principles and my word,” said Jarred Gamwell, a 17-year-old junior who is an honor student. “I’m surprised that the school is taking this so far, but now I feel it’s important to stand up for my rights to let other students know it’s wrong for a school to stop them from being open and proud about who they are.”

The ACLU sought a temporary restraining order before the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division, in Wilson, asking the court to force the school to put Gamwell’s posters back up before the student government election tomorrow.

The move comes in the wake of the school’s defiant response to the ACLU’s demands yesterday afternoon. In a letter to the ACLU, the school’s attorney claimed that any speech related to student government is school-sponsored speech and therefore the school has the right to censor it. The school went on to say Gamwell’s posters were “disruptive” and had nothing to do with his qualifications to be president. This morning, in a further effort to silence Gamwell, school officials announced to students that campaign speeches planned for today have been cancelled.

“The North Carolina constitution makes it clear that students in situations like Jarred’s have a right to free expression, and Jarred has already explained that he wanted to use the posters to let other students know that he values diversity,” said Seth Jaffe, Managing Attorney of the ACLU of North Carolina. “The school’s argument that the posters were disruptive is patently ridiculous. References to popular TV shows don’t cause riots in the hallways.”

On Tuesday, April 20, Gamwell put up some campaign posters, as all the candidates are allowed to do, and went to his honors band class. When his class ended, Gamwell discovered the two posters that mentioned his being gay had been taken down. Other students’ campaign posters referencing popular media catchphrases – one that reads “What can Brown do for you?” and another stating, “It’s Miller Time!” – have been left undisturbed by the school.

Gamwell went to school administrators and discovered that it was Principal Bill Williamson who had ordered the removal of the posters. The next day, Gamwell met with Williamson and asked why the posters were taken down. The principal refused to answer, so Gamwell left a list of questions about why the posters had been removed and asked for a response in writing. Williamson let Gamwell take the posters when he left. On Thursday, Gamwell asked again, but Williamson again refused to answer any questions about the incident, telling Gamwell that principals don't have to explain their actions to students. No other candidates’ posters have been taken down by school officials.

In its letter to the school, the ACLU asked that Hunt High School do two things to correct its violation of Gamwell’s rights:

- Permit him to put the two posters back up immediately.

- Allow Gamwell to convey the messages that were kept from the student body and talk about the censorship that has taken place in his campaign speech, which had been scheduled along with the other candidates for this morning.

“To set up student elections and give students a forum for political speech in their posters and campaign speeches and then single out one student’s message because they don’t like the fact that he’s openly gay is wrongheaded and illegal,” said Leslie Cooper, a staff attorney with the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project who is representing Gamwell.

Gamwell is represented by Cooper, Jaffe, and cooperating attorney Seth Cohen of Greensboro.

Source: http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?ID=15544&c=106

 

[Adrenaline]

Goodness, it's just a cutesy idea from a high school student in his campaign. Why would that get on anyone's nerves to the point where they take down his posters?

 

[Pookie]

Student fights to campaign in election as 'queer guy'

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 Posted: 8:11 AM EDT (1211 GMT)

RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- An openly gay student is fighting to campaign in his high school election with posters that read: "Gay Guys Know Everything!" and "Queer Guy for Hunt High."

Seventeen-year-old Jarred Gamwell has enlisted the help of the American Civil Liberties Union to reverse a principal's decision last week that stripped the posters from the halls of James B. Hunt Jr. High School in Wilson.

"The school administration's removal of these two campaign posters is a clear violation of Jarred's constitutional right to free expression," Leslie Cooper, an ACLU attorney, wrote in a letter to the school Monday. "The Supreme Court has made it clear that students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate."

School officials say they have the right to control and censor candidates for student body president, especially when their speech could interfere with learning.

"The language in the two campaign posters in question was determined to be disruptive to the educational process and to have no relevance to the student's qualifications for office," said Robert E. Kendall Jr., school district spokesman in Wilson County, 40 miles east of Raleigh.

In a letter to the ACLU, a lawyer for the district, David Orcutt, also said the school would also seek to prevent Gamwell from making similar statements in a campaign speech set to be broadcast Tuesday over the school intercom. Students vote Wednesday.

School administrators "have in no way attempted to regulate Mr. Gamwell's right as a homosexual nor have we in any way attempted to regulate his freedom of speech on those issues off-campus," Orcutt wrote.

Gamwell said in a phone interview Monday he has long suffered verbal harassment at the school, both from students and some teachers. The junior became public about his sexual orientation in the ninth grade.

The name-calling "rolls off my back," he said. "It's not something that's going to get me down. I have pride, and I have personal character."

Gamwell said he plans to speak Tuesday about what he will do for students as president of the student government. He said he wrote a second speech addressing censorship and the events of the last week, but said he will not deliver it.

By contacting the ACLU, Gamwell said he hoped to "raise awareness of what's going at the school, what administrators and teachers are trying to get away with. I want students to take their rights seriously."

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/04/27/gay.student.posters.ap/index.html

"The language in the two campaign posters in question was determined to be disruptive to the educational process ..."

Looks to me like the biggest disruption to the education process in this school is the ignorance of the school's administrators.

 

[Adrenaline]

"The language in the two campaign posters in question was determined to be disruptive to the educational process and to have no relevance to the student's qualifications for office," said Robert E. Kendall Jr., school district spokesman in Wilson County, 40 miles east of Raleigh.

That is such bullshit. How is that disruptive to educational process? Kids look at it and all of their thoughts that were previously preoccupied with class material are now completely eclipsed by a catchy slogan on a poster?

Again the boy was not implying that the students should vote for him because he is gay but that, like it or not, the fact that he is makes him more sensitive to issues of diversity and acceptance. If idiots like the principal didn't act the way they do, it wouldn't even be an issue.

 

[lorddragonwolf]

he lost his battle to keep the posters up and also came in last in the elections.

 

[Etoile]

he lost his battle to keep the posters up and also came in last in the elections.

Oh? Where'd you hear that?

 

[Angel]

Oh? Where'd you hear that?

It was on the news.

 

[LarzMachine]

Goodness, it's just a cutesy idea from a high school student in his campaign. Why would that get on anyone's nerves to the point where they take down his posters?

Why does the idea of evolution being taught as reality (which it bloody IS) in high school cause a jihad among knuckle-dragging christians?

 

[LarzMachine]

"The language in the two campaign posters in question was determined to be disruptive to the educational process ..."

Looks to me like the biggest disruption to the education process in this school is the ignorance of the school's administrators.

Sounds like my high school. The principal there (who would give detention and try to suspend students for calling him "Mister" instead of "Doctor" because he had a chemistry degree) didn't like me because I wasn't a jock and I knew more than him about damn near everything, so every chance he got he'd try to suspend me for something. His most common excuse was that I had "disrupted the educational environment." Even if I was joking around between classes. Or at lunch. When asked how I was disrupting the educational environment when NO education was going on, his oh-so-erudite response was "that's insubordination. If you continue, I'll give you two more weeks." The joke was on him though -- he'd have to wake up my psychotic postal worker father to come get me and explain why I was being suspended for such petty bullshit.

Eventually I got sick of it and did $750 of damage to his Jaguar with a well-placed kick, which inspired a lot of the teachers (most of whom liked me more than they did that asshead) to go to the school board about him. A couple of the teachers specifically told me this, it isn't just a swelled head. Turned out he had been propositioning teachers, otherwise abusing his power, and took at least one student (me, for supposedly stealing a pen from a teacher -- I was required to find the damn thing on the shelf at the drugstore to prove I hadn't ripped it off. Apparently there was a new rule saying I had to carry receipts for my school supplies) for an undocumented joyride without parental permission or knowledge. End result, 20 pages of charges against him.

What was the school board's decision when faced with this obvious sexual predator? They moved him to the middle school, where the kids would be weaker and easier to abuse. I'm a big guy (at the time I was a heavyweight wrestler), so if he'd tried anything on that ride, it would have been bad, but a 6th grade kid wouldn't be able to put up anything even resembling a fight. Yes, I wish I'd taken the cop's off the record advice to lie and say he'd tried something. If anyone was crying out to be assraped in prison, he was.

/rant

 

[John Doe]

I'm wondering, if a white student put up a campaign poster saying "White People Know Everything" or a male student used posters saying "Men Know Everything," would we still be supportive of his "campaign idea" to "identify himself with diversity"? I don't think so.

Additionally, I ask the same question as apexpark. What does being gay do for this student to make him a better candidate? And the diversity argument is fallacious, because it has nothing to do with the actual job at hand.

 

[Adrenaline]

I'm wondering, if a white student put up a campaign poster saying "White People Know Everything" or a male student used posters saying "Men Know Everything," would we still be supportive of his "campaign idea" to "identify himself with diversity"? I don't think so.

Of course it wouldn't, because those two groups are not seen as minorities in terms of numbers or in their power of influence: naturally being a white male wouldn't make one insensitive to that issue but it would have to be relayed in a different manner.

Incidentally, where is the poster where the student relayed the message that he new everything because he was gay?

Additionally, I ask the same question as apexpark. What does being gay do for this student to make him a better candidate? And the diversity argument is fallacious, because it has nothing to do with the actual job at hand.

Again the boy was not implying that the students should vote for him because he is gay but that, like it or not, the fact that he is makes him more sensitive to issues of diversity and acceptance.

Since I don't attend his high school I don't know whether a) diversity in whatever form is an issue there and b) whether the position he was campaigning for would be able to address the concern.

 

[John Doe]

Of course it wouldn't, because those two groups are not seen as minorities in terms of numbers or in their power of influence: naturally being a white male wouldn't make one insensitive to that issue but it would have to be relayed in a different manner.

That's just discrimination for a minority instead of against it. How is that any better?

Incidentally, where is the poster where the student relayed the message that he new everything because he was gay?

http://www.aclu.org/images/client/Gamwell2.jpg

 

[Pookie]

The real issue is not whether or not he was the best candidate, or that being gay made him a better candidate, etc.. It's about a student's freedom of expression that is guaranteed by the US Constitution. And the Supreme Court has held that all high school students' (including gay students) freedom of expression are protected by the US Constitution.

Look at the many things candidates will mention about themselves that has little to do with their qualifications to hold a particular office. They have the right to mention things not related to what they're running for as part of describing who they are. It shouldn't be any different for a student who takes pride in being gay.

 

[John Doe]

Expressing the idea that homosexuals are better than heterosexuals is not pride, it's bigotry and arrogance.

I think the response from the school would be the same if someone put up a poster saying "White guys know everything," but the public response would probably be much different. No one would bemoan the infringement of the racists' rights.

 

[Pookie]

Expressing the idea that homosexuals are better than heterosexuals is not pride, it's bigotry and arrogance.

I think the response from the school would be the same if someone put up a poster saying "White guys know everything," but the public response would probably be much different. No one would bemoan the infringement of the racists' rights.

Maybe so, if that had been the only poster removed. But it wasn't. Also, he didn't say homosexuals are better than heterosexuals. The one poster said that "gay guys know everything." That doesn't necessarily mean that ONLY gay guys know everything either. I didn't get that meaning when I read it either.

"When his class ended, Jarred discovered two of the posters -- one with the slogan “Queer Eye for Hunt High” and another reading “Gay Guys Know Everything!” -- had been taken down. "

When he repeatedly asked why the two were taken down, the principal refused to answer. He was clearly being censored from expressing himself with speech that is protected by the US Constitution and has been affirmed by US Supreme Court rulings.