Students at Yulee High School, located just north of Jacksonville, will be permitted to form a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and meet on campus after a court settlement. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida filed a lawsuit on behalf of student Hannah Paige after the district denied her request to form a GSA during the 2007-08 school year.
Federal judge Henry Lee Adam, Jr. awarded a permanent injunction against the district, prohibiting discrimination against the group and forbidding retaliation against students and staff affiliated with the new GSA. The judge also ordered the district to pay the ACLU $40,000 for court fees and attorney costs related to the case.
“Every student deserves a safe and secure education. Bullying of gay students is epidemic in American schools and in Nassau County,” said Robert Rosenwald, ACLU of Florida LGBT Advocacy Project Director and lead counsel. “These courageous students took a stand to address the problem and the school policies that exacerbate it.”
In order to comply with the judge’s ruling, the district must allow the club to meet on campus, allow students to use the name “Gay-Straight Alliance,” and allow the club to further its goals for LGBT advocacy and tolerance.
“Hopefully, Nassau school administrators will follow their students’ example and become part of the solution rather than part of the problem,” said Rosenwald.
“We started a gay-straight alliance because we wanted a safe space where all students can talk about harassment and discrimination that LGBT students face,” said Page. “We’re grateful that the court recognized that the GSA should be allowed to meet and be treated like any other club.”
