ACLU pushes for GSA at Carver Middle School

ACLU pushes for GSA at Carver Middle School

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is backing up a Lake County Middle School student in her quest to create a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at her middle school.

On Jan. 23, the ACLU sent a letter to Lake County School Board attorney Stephen Johnson, demanding the district follow through on a request by Carver Middle School student Bayli Silberstein to “confront bullying, educate the school community, and promote acceptance and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students” via the formation of a GSA.

According to the letter. Silberstein has been asking school officials whether her request has been denied and if so, would they provide reasons in writing. The request was submitted in early November, and Silberstein and her friend have had a conversation with Principal Mollie Cunningham, “who acknowledged the potential utility of the club but indicated that she needed to consult with the school board.”

Rather than denying the request, the letter states that school officials are simply ignoring Silberstein.

The ACLU set a deadline of Feb. 1 for the District to respond to the request.

As of press time, the only comment was from Lake County District spokesperson Christopher Patton, who stated in an email, “The request to establish this club at Carver Middle School is currently being reviewed.”

The Lake County School district made headlines in 2011 when Mt. Dora High School teacher Jerry Buell, who after hearing that same-sex couples could marry in New York, posted to Facebook that the news made him want to “vomit” and called gay marriage a “cesspool.” He was suspended from the classroom and the investigation revealed that Buell injected scripture wherever he could at the school, from his district profile to his syllabus.

He headed back into the classroom after orders to scrub away the religious content, but teamed up with the notorious anti-gay National Organization for Marriage.

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