American Civil Liberties Union : Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth

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The Youth & Schools program strives to make public schools safe and bias-free, defending free expression in public schools and working to help students establish gay-straight alliance clubs.	> Federal Judge Rules That Students Can’t Be Barred From Expressing Support for Gay People > Federal Appeals Court Says It's OK for School to Teach Children's Book Encouraging Tolerance for Gay People

The LGBT Project's Youth & Schools program has a ton of online information for students, but also for parents, teachers, and school administrators. Here's how to get around:

"What's Your Problem?" contains information to help you better understand your rights, what steps you should take to fight back, and how we might be able to help
"Change Your School" gives you the tools you need to make your school a safer, more welcoming place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students
"Library" is a huge collection of information about schools issues for LGBT youth and links to handouts, letters, and legal briefs from both the ACLU's website and elsewhere on the web
"Get Help" tells you how to contact us with questions about experiencing anti-gay discrimination in your school and how to find out what your rights are under the law

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Press Releases

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Settlement With Lake County School District Calls For Comprehensive Approach To Protecting Students From Anti-Gay Harassment (06/25/2008)
SAN FRANCISCO — The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) has reached a settlement with the Upper Lake Union School District that contains a comprehensive series of steps the district will undertake to protect students from anti-gay harassment and discrimination. The agreement is on behalf of a student who was persistently subjected to verbal taunting and physical abuse throughout elementary and middle school based on his gender identity and perceived sexual orientation. The ACLU-NC sought this settlement in light of federal and state laws that allow for school administrators to be held liable if they fail to take adequate measures to remedy anti-LGBT harassment and discrimination.

Nashville High School Students Celebrate Comprehensive Non-Discrimination Policy (06/11/2008)
NASHVILLE, TN – Students are celebrating today after last night’s decision by the Nashville school board to protect students and school employees from gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination. The American Civil Liberties Union also applauds the decision, hailing the hard work and advocacy by students that led to the change.

Federal Judge Rules That Students Can’t Be Barred From Expressing Support for Gay People (05/13/2008)
PANAMA CITY, FL – After a two-day trial in which a Florida high school principal testified that he believed clothing or stickers featuring rainbows would make students automatically picture gay people having sex, a federal judge today ruled that the school violated students’ First Amendment rights of students. The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a junior at the school who had been forbidden by her principal to wear any sort of clothing, stickers, buttons, or symbols to show her support of equal rights for gay people.

ACLU Takes On High School Principal For Discriminating Against Male Couple (04/29/2008)
MEMPHIS – A public high school principal who posted the names of two boys on a list of students believed to be couples, revealing their relationship to their parents as well as other students and teachers, violated the students' constitutional right to freedom of association, the American Civil Liberties Union charged today. In a letter to school board officials in Memphis, Tennessee, the ACLU demanded today that the school reprimand the principal and take steps to ensure such actions never happen again.

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Publications

Know Your Rights! - Students Wallet Card (06/15/2007)
You have the right to be yourself. This wallet card provides LGBT students with the basics – outlining students’ legal rights in public schools.
> Order online!

Making Schools Safe Training Manual (01/31/2006)
This is an abridged version. Contact us for copies of the full manual.

Ask Sybil Liberty About Your Right to Equality in Education (12/31/1997)
ACLU's resident expert, Sybil Liberty, answers common questions about students' rights from a student point of view.

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Legal Documents

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Gonzalez v. School Board of Okeechobee County - Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion to Alter Judgment (05/19/2008)

Gillman v. Holmes County School District - Draft Transcript of Comments by Judge Richard Smoak Upon Granting Permanent Injunction in Favor of Heather Gillman (05/13/2008)

Outing at Hollis F. Price Middle College High School - Demand Letter (04/29/2008)

Gillman v Holmes County School District - Complaint (01/31/2008)

Laccone v. I.C. Norcom High School - Demand Letter (12/20/2007)

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Legislative Documents

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Sign-on Letter to Omnibus Appropriations Bill Conferees Urging No New Funding to Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Under the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) Grant Program funded through the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill (02/05/2003)

Letter to the Senate on First Amendment Issues in Sen. Helms' "Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act" Amendment to ESEA (05/21/2001)

Letter to the House on the First Amendment Issues in Rep. Hilleary's "Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act" Amendment to ESEA (05/21/2001)