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Gay-Straight Alliance Gains Equal Rights

Lindsey Soffes
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 at 10:42 am
Recently, three Kennewick High School students formed a gay-straight alliance (GSA), the first among all Kennewick schools. They did so in the face of months-long opposition by some members of the Kennewick School Board to recognizing GSAs as non-curricular student clubs. Now, to its credit, the Kennewick School Board has voted 3-2 to give GSAs the same access to school resources enjoyed by other non-curricular student clubs. Read More »
 
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ACLU-WA Opposes Inadequate Rules for Protecting Students Against Discrimination

January 27, 2011
Washington last year passed a groundbreaking law (HB 3026) to combat discrimination on a wide range of bases. But now the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has proposed rules that undermine the law and do not address the kinds of discrimination students actually face. Read More »
 

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ACLU Provides Legal Help to Gay-Straight Alliances

October 24, 2006
The federal Equal Access Act requires schools to give all noncurriculum-related student clubs – such as Gay-Straight Alliances - equal access to school facilities, regardless of the content of the speech in their meetings. Read More »
 
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Yakima Student Receives ACLU Scholarship

April 12, 2005
Trevor Gilmore, a senior at A.C. Davis High School in Yakima, has been selected to receive one of ten National ACLU Youth Activist Scholarship Awards. For his work in starting the first Gay-Straight Alliance in Yakima, he is receiving a $4,000 college scholarship as part of a national ACLU program that recognizes youth who do exemplary work for civil liberties. Read More »
 
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ACLU Tells High Schools They Must Give Equal Rights to Gay-Straight Alliance Student Clubs

May 8, 2003
Responding to problems faced by students in several schools, the American Civil Liberties Union is advising school officials statewide that their existing rules for student-organized clubs may discriminate against some student organizations. In a letter sent to school districts throughout Washington, the ACLU explained that federal law makes it clear that student clubs promoting tolerance for gay students are entitled to the same resources as other clubs. Read More »
 
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Gay-Straight Alliance Gains Recognition at Federal Way High School

April 1, 2003
The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) has the same free speech rights as other student clubs at Federal Way High School, thanks to action by the ACLU. In March school officials notified the GSA that a student government vote against the club will not be grounds for denying it equal access to school resources. Read More »
 
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Puyallup Student Receives Scholarship for Work against Discrimination

February 27, 2003
Damian Ball, a senior at Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, has been selected to receive a Youth Activist Scholarship Award in recognition of his work for civil liberties. The $4,000 college scholarship is one of 14 awarded by the American Civil Liberties Union to high school students around the nation. Read More »
 
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Settlement Reached in Harassment of Gay Student

January 1, 1999
The ACLU-WA and Kent School District in November reached an out-of-court settlement in the lawsuit filed by former student Mark Iversen. Iversen filed suit against the school district in 1997, alleging it did not respond adequately to incidents of harassment based on his perceived sexual orientation. Read More »
 
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