Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 06:17:46 -0700 (PDT) From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: Action Alert: Charlestown IN (near Louisville KY) [Forwarded from a member of Louisville Metro P-FLAG. Charlestown, Indiana is just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. Contact info for responding to situation is at end of message.] TEACHER REFUSES TO SIGN LETTER Janet Boyer has taught school for 22 years. She teaches speech, drama, Health and English 10 classes at Charleston High School in Charleston, Indiana. Last semester she was assigned to teach health. She knew that there would not be enough time to cover all the chapters in their text. Therefore, she had the students pick two chapters that they would most like to cover. One of the chapters chosen by the students was Male and Female Reproductive system. This chapter covers both heterosexual and homosexual issues. Janet Boyer invited a certified counselor from Life Springs Mental Health Center who was certified in homosexual issues to be a guest speaker for the class. Mrs. Boyer said that any student who was uncomfortable with discussing this issue could be excused to go to the library. The student would not suffer any penalties for opting to do so. The material would not be covered on an exam. One student took advantage of that option. The counselor talked about the myths of homosexual lifestyles and the degree of hostility and prejudice gays endure. Feedback from the students was all positive. They found it to be refreshing and enlightening. After her positive experience last semester, she decided to repeat this program for her second semester class with all the above options. However, on this occasion the school received three letters of complaint; but, none of the letters were written by any parents of the students who were in her classroom. These letters came from members of the same church. She did receive one phone call of complaint from a parent of a student. But, she has not received one complaint from a student. This has started a series of events that is rapidly turning into a witch hunt. Mrs. Boyer was called into the principal George Marshall's office and was told this situation could have been avoided, if she had cleared the request for a guest speaker through him. However, a week later he said that his position is that this topic would never be discussed again in his school. He laid before her a letter that he had written for her to sign. The letter stated that Mrs. Boyer is an excellent teacher, but has made a grievous error and has offended the students of Charlestown High School. Included in the letter is the pledge that she would never discuss this topic again in class. She would have to get permission for all future guest speakers. No other teacher has those restrictions placed on them. As a matter of principle, Mrs. Boyer refuses to sign the letter. Now the superintendant of the Greater Clark County Schools, David Pulliam, is applying pressure for her to sign the letter. She has been told that the "homosexual sexual issue" will be placed in her permanent work file. When she asked principal Marshall why it was wrong for her to seek professional help in teaching a topic, the principal's reply was the counselor had lost all credibilty because he discovered she was a lesbian. Mrs. Boyer refuses to bow to the pressure. She feels this is an issue of academic censorship. She believes that in order to prepare students to cope in a diverse society that they need to learn about GLBT issues in a healthy environment. She also recognizes through her many years of experience as a teacher the pain and isolation of GLBT students. She holds firmly that the school should address their needs, too. This brave teacher needs our help. She needs letters of support sent to both the principal and superintendent. Principal George Marshall Superintendent David Pulliam Charlestown High School Administration Building Pirate Place 2710 Highway 62 Charlestown, IN 47111 Jeffersonville, IN 47130 also write to: Dr. Suellen Reed, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 229 State House, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2798, (317) 232-6665. Email= < sureed@doe.state.in.us>. Fax Fax: (317)233-6326 Louisville Courier-Journal,525 W. Broadway,Louisville,KY,40202 -(Fax 502-582-4290, print run 238,500) The Evening News,221 Spring Street,Jeffersonville,IN,47130 -(Fax 812-284-7080, print run 13,350) *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ OK TO RE-POST. Jessea Greenman The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK THIS OUT FOR TONS OF INFO - - http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ Please cc us (for our files) on correspondence you send or receive re our action alerts.