Viera – As recently as March 2016, it looked like a movement to add LGBT protections to Brevard School District’s existing non-discrimination policy was dead in the water. After a group of anti-gay speakers flooded a meeting and the Board moved the proposal to workshop, it appeared the protections hit a wall.
Just one month later,Scott Wall-DeSousa, a key advocate for the protections whose husband teaches in the district, says he’s “very optimistic” that the District’s policies will be updated to protect LGBT students and staff.
“Right now, it is legal for [my husband] Dan to lose his job over being gay,” he says.
At the April 26 workshop, Wall-DeSousa says the Board brought in a “highly educated panel,” including the District litigation attorney who pointed out that by not updating their policies, the District does not follow what is considered best practices and therefore, might find themselves out in the cold should there be litigation.
Wall-DeSousa says the workshop “cleared the air” and seemed to silence the opposition to adding the LGBT protections.
“It wasn’t a win or lose situation,” he says. “It was how to do the right thing for everybody. The way the school board works is you have to create policy, and that policy creates procedures. This isn’t a short term; everything’s going to be dandy in a couple of days [situation].”
The next step is a May 10 meeting, where the board will schedule a public hearing and a third meeting for a final vote.
