Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 06:38:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman)
Subject: Utah Edu. Association Opposes SB246

[a member of the National Education Association sends us the
following more accurate portrayal of events in Utah re the
UTA and SB 246...]
the following...

"I posted a concern in the NEAOnline/Western Region/Utah Messages Board
section of AOL regarding the following quote from the Utah Education
Association President:

>"Utah Education Association President Lily Eskelsen believes that most
>teachers do not oppose the new bill, but they do view the provisions on
>teacher conduct as unnecessary.
>
>'We've never really gotten an answer on what exactly we're trying to make
>teachers do or prevent them from doing that isn't already covered in Utah
>law,' she said.

I have received the following replies from her. I'm passing this along,
FYI. "
==============

Subj:  Response to "Incredulous Words from UEA"
Date:  Mon, Apr 15, 1996 3:14 PM EDT
From:  LEskelsen@nea.org

As president of the UEA I was also incredulous when I read the quote
attributed to me regarding the state legislature's apparent decision to
challenge the federal Equal Access law in an attempt to prevent gay and
lesbian high school students from meeting on campus.

Please, do not believe everything you read in the newspapers.

Especially when bills such as SB246 are amended every five minutes.  UEA
opposed the original bill which was clearly meant to intimidate teachers
in their private lives from "supporting or encouraging illegal conduct"
which became a code for homosexuality.  We successfully secured a veto
from the Governor on that bill as an infringement of free speech.

Offending sections of the bill were amended to bring them in line
constitutionally, but the bill itself is still totally unnecessary as it
simply reiterates existing statute on teachers not intentionally creating
a material disruption in school activities.  My quote referred to
admitting that the new language could not be challenged constitutionally
but that it was completely unnecessary and there was never any evidence
given that teachers were acting inappropriately.

Within 24 hours we were sent a new version of SB246 that included language
we had never seen.  The new language specifically prohibits after school
clubs which "involve human sexuality".  We will actively oppose such a
clumsy attempt to circumvent the Equal Access law.

UEA believes that all children should go to school in environments that
are free from hatred and harassment.  These students and their caring
teachers have stated time and time again that the purpose of their
organization is to work toward understanding and a more tolerant
atmosphere in the halls of their school.  What is intolerable is the
attempt of certain legislators to justify exclusion and prejudice.

We encourage citizens to share their concerns with the Governor and the
Legislature as we have.

[Only the individual sender is responsible for the content
of this message, and the message does not necessarily reflect
the position or policy of the National Education Association.]


Subj:  re: Re: Response to "Incredulous Words from UEA"
Date:  Tue, Apr 16, 1996 1:09 AM EDT
From:  LEskelsen@nea.org
To:     JohnGLin2@aol.com

Post it where you will with my blessing!  I've been so upset that such a
misquote came out of local paper and was repeated, but I've never dealt
with such an intense issue that changes even as we speak.

You might be interested in the latest update.  The Governor is keeping the
final bill uncharacteristically secret.  ACLU was upset that it might be
to grease it through without public debate.  I'm holding out a different
hope that it's because we and others (including several legal opinions on
editorial pages) have ridiculed the bill as a foolish waste of court costs
and attorney fees when it so blantly unconstitutional.

I think they're really mulling this over.  I've heard that they're still
going through revisions.  We'll have our latest fax on his desk in the
morning since the UEA Board of Directors voted unanimously today to oppose
SB246 as was sent to us last week.  Let's see what they come up with.

Sometimes the good guys win!

Lily Eskelsen
President

[Only the individual sender is responsible for the content
of this message, and the message does not necessarily reflect
the position or policy of the National Education Association.]
-------------------------------------------------