A case brought by
Georgia high school student and Advocate 2005 Person
of the Year Kerry Pacer seeking recognition for her
gay student club went before a state judge on Monday.
In Gainesville district court judge William O'Kelley
listened as Pacer, who is being represented by the
American Civil Liberties Union, presented evidence
alleging that discrimination occurred against
PRIDE, the gay-straight alliance she formed at White County
High School in Cleveland, Ga.
According to a
report by the Web site Access North Georgia, White County
principal Brian Dorsey testified that he decided no
noncurricular clubs would meet on campus. But ACLU
attorneys presented morning bulletins as evidence that
those clubs did meet and announcements were made on the
public address system.
The lawsuit
claims that White County school officials violated the
Federal Equal Access Act during the 2005-2006 school
year by barring PRIDE--Peers Rising In Diversity
Education--from meeting on campus while allowing
other noncurricular clubs to do so. A bench trial will be
held before a U.S. district court judge in Atlanta.
"The law is
crystal clear about how public schools have to treat
student clubs: they have to treat them equally regardless of
their viewpoint," said Beth Littrell, a staff attorney
with the ACLU of Georgia who represents several
members of PRIDE and their parents. "White County High
School has been trying to get around that by saying it
has banned all clubs, when in reality it's been playing
favorites and letting clubs that administrators like
continue to meet. Students at White County High School
have a right to decide for themselves which clubs they
want to participate in, and that right has been
trampled by the school."
"All we're asking
for is to be treated the same as all the other clubs
that the school has been allowing to meet." said Charlene
Hammersen, a 17-year-old lesbian who is one of the founding
members of PRIDE. "Harassment and violence are pretty
bad at our school, and we think having a gay-straight
alliance would help make our school a safer place. I
don't understand why a club dedicated to making the school
safer for everyone doesn't get to meet when clubs like
the dance team and student council do."
Pacer graduated
high school this year and will be attending college in
the fall. But she said she is committed to helping win the
right for the gay-straight alliance to meet on campus
at White County. (The Advocate)