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• Friday, December 2, 2005 10:45 PM

  Disturbing precedent?

  The issue of the principal singling out homosexual vs heterosexual is clearly a problem. But assume for the moment that there was consistent enforcement. Mieszkowski asks, "Does this same principal notify parents that their children are heterosexual every time boys and girls are caught making out next to the lockers, too?" Well, does this precedent say that doing so would be illegal?

  When I was in high school, a fellow student hanged himself days after the school year ended, knowing that the report card that would shortly be sent to his parents contained a "D". The "A" student feared a horrible retribution. I used to work in an after-school program for young homeless children. We were forced to end the practice of sending home certificates with stickers to mark the areas students were doing well in, because we had cases of students being beaten for not having stickers in all areas. Many parents might react violently if they learned their child were using drugs at school.

  The judge in this case cited the possibility of similar dire outcomes of "outing" a child to their parents. So, at some point will it be illegal for principals to send home report cards? Or explain other causes for suspension, like drug use? As sensitive an issue as sexual orientation is, I am having a very, very hard time understanding how anything that a student does at school, especially openly and publicly, must by law be kept from parents.

  PS: Kudos to the mother, who sounds amazingly supportive of her daughter.

  —In San Diego Read In San Diego's other letters
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