It should be noted anti-LGBTQ activists have tried this before. It doesn’t work.
A group of parents who fear the consequences of allowing gay-friendly clubs in their schools have called on the leaders of a western North Carolina charter school, Lake Lure Classical Academy, to shut down a support club for LGBTQ students.
This month, following complaints from some in the Rutherford County town of Lake Lure, leaders at the public charter temporarily suspended all clubs while they considered their options, The Daily Courier in nearby Forest City reported. Today, members of the school’s board of directors will hold a special meeting to discuss the issue.
As the Indy reported last year, the federal Equal Access Act guarantees inclusion of extra-curricular clubs, such as the Gay Straight Alliance and others of its ilk, if a public school provides access for any other extra-curricular clubs. When we received allegations that a principal in one Orange County middle school appeared to be hindering the formation of a GSA, we reported on it. Months later, after public criticism from the local school board, that principal resigned.
Thus, it would seem that there are few choices for the Lake Lure charter school today. Back the club, or shutter all extra-curricular organizations, including a Christian group that has been meeting at the charter for five years.
The ACLU of N.C. is reaffirming that lack of options, sharing a letter penned by the group’s legal director, Christopher Brook, in which he advised the school board of directors’ attorney on the responsibilities of the Equal Access Act.
“Courts have firmly held that a heckler’s veto does not trump a school’s obligations to treat all of its students equally,” Brook wrote.