In Violation Of Equal Access Act Corpus Christi Texas High School Repeatedly Denies Attempts By 17 Year Senior To Start Gay-Straight Alliance

The Corpus Christi Caller Times reports on the efforts of 17 year old Bianca “Nikki” Peet, a senior at Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, to set up a Gay-Straight alliance at the school, the senior saying that since November, 2010, her principal has found creative ways to prevent the formation of the alliance. Local gay activists claim that the principal – and by extension, the school district – is practicing a form of institutional discrimination against homosexual supporters and their supporters in violation of a federal law, and they have issued an ultimatum, giving the school until Monday to approve a student club supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students or they will begin demonstrating in front of the campus. Wednesday, district officials released a statement that said it supports cultural diversity and reaffirmed a policy that gives school officials discretion on clubs. Officials said the district, according to its policy approved in 2005, is not subject to the part of the Equal Access Act, which requires the school to offer fair opportunities for students to form student-led extracurricular groups, regardless of their religious, political and philosophical leanings. Non-curriculum student groups do exist at Flour Bluff High School, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Peet says that following the initial rejection of her application, she changed the name of the proposed club and broadened the club’s constitution to include issues beyond those specific to homosexual students in an attempt to satisfy Principal Jim Crenshaw’s concerns, but to no avail. Enter Paul Rodriguez, the president of the Texas A&M gay-straight alliance, who intervened on Peet’s behalf, sending e-mails to the district demanding Crenshaw approve the club or Peet's supporters will protest and possibly seek legal action. Rodriguez already urged supporters to inundate Crenshaw and Superintendent Julie Carbajal with letters of support for Peet's proposed club. Carbajal and Crenshaw could not be reached for comment despite repeated calls, and spokesperson Lynn Kaylor said district officials would not comment beyond what was written in the prepared statement. Rodriguez, 37, who is gay and the father of a gay son at Carroll High School, said Gay-Straight alliances afford a safe space to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students who face harassment and discrimination, and denying Peet the chance to create a Gay-Straight Alliance violates the Equal Access Act, a law mandating that federally funded schools provide equal access to extracurricular clubs, Rodriguez said. That legislation, enacted in 1984, was seen then as an attempt to protect Bible study and other religious groups, but has since been invoked by supporters of gay rights to protect the formation of Gay-Straight Alliances in schools. Rodriguez sent a letter Tuesday to Carbajal that read in part “Denying the formation of this club is not the answer to ending and bullying and discrimination in our schools. You are supposed to punish offenders of your bullying policy, not the members of the club." Peet said she wanted to start a Gay-Straight Alliance to give Flour Bluff students an open place to talk about issues facing homosexual students, and adds at least 15 students have signed a petition expressing interest in joining her club."I wanted to bring unity and raise awareness that we're here and we should be OK with that," she said. If you would like to contact Flour Bluffs High School, that information is available here.