posted on December 3, 2004 03:27:39 PM newStudents Sent Home After Gay T-Shirt Protest
12.02.04
(Webb City, MO) A dozen high school students were disciplined Wednesday after wearing homemade gay-pride T-shirts to school in support of a gay student who is suing the school district for wearing a similar shirt.
The Webb City High School students were given the option of either removing the T-shirts or going home. Seven students walked out while the remainder took off the shirts and remained in class.
"It was their choice," said school superintendent Ron Lankford. "I think our administrators handled it correctly."
The students made the shirts to support of Brad Mathewson. The 16-year-old has filed a federal lawsuit against the school district for disciplining him twice in October for wearing t-shirts supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. He was later suspended after school officials refused to meet with his mother without the Mathewsons’ attorney present.
Although Mathewson had worn one of the shirts to school at least six times before without incident, Principal Stephen P. Gollhofer later claimed he was concerned the t-shirts might offend other students. Students with opposing beliefs on the same issues are allowed to express their views, as anti-gay t-shirts and bumperstickers are common in the hallways at Webb City High School, according to the ACLU which is representing the teen.
The T-shirts made by Mathewson's supports said on the front, "If this shirt offends you, look the other way."
The backs of some of the T-shirts said, "We have the right to be who we want to be" and "We support gay rights." Other shirts bore the messages "I'm gay and I'm proud" and "I have a gay friend and I'm proud of him."
Dick Kurtenbach, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri, said sending the students home Tuesday "perpetuates the same violation of rights that took place in Brad's case."
Kurtenbach said the ACLU is asking the school to enforce its dress code equally. Shirts promoting drugs, alcohol or violence clearly violate the dress code, he said.
