CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A gay rights student group whose existence has drawn the ire of some parents and students at an eastern Kentucky high school will be allowed to meet after school hours under a new set of policies drawn up by the school board. The Boyd County school board introduced and voted on the new set of policies on Monday. They would allow the Gay-Straight Alliance and other noncurricular groups to meet after school. The policy limits access to school property during school hours to groups related to academics, an attempt by the board to comply with federal equal access laws. "No student groups or student organizations of any kind shall meet on school premises until after the regular school day unless participation results in academic credit for a school course or is in connection with activities permitted for excused absences," read a statement from the school board. In April a federal judge ruled that the school district must treat the group no differently than the Bible club, whether the groups are reading announcements over the intercom or publishing meeting times in the campus newspaper. The board must vote on the new policies a second time before they are adopted, which could be as early as August 4. The school board said clubs and activities that would be allowed under the policies must be defined as "educational, curricular, extracurricular academic enrichment, or of an academic or athletic competitive nature which provide opportunities for higher-education scholarships." Athletics, including cheerleading, and academic teams would be included as school-sponsored activities under the policies. Other clubs and activities would be lumped in with a community use policy, which allows use of the school after hours. The Gay-Straight Alliance currently is allowed to meet during school hours under a temporary injunction granted by U.S. district judge David Bunning. The club, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the school district in January, alleging violations of federal and state law. The gay-straight group would fall into the noncurricular category, board member Teresa Cornette has said. The school's council will decide which other clubs fall outside the policy's definition of curricular groups, she said. The GSA's meetings at the school have upset some students and members of the community. In November more than 2,000 people gathered in a church parking lot to protest a council vote that permitted the group to meet at the high school. That month nearly half of the school's 990 students skipped school in protest of the decision to allow the group to meet.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
60 Burly Pics from Bearrison Street Fair 2022
October 08 2023 8:30 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Neo-Nazis suspected of killing 72-year-old gay man after escaping from prison
March 25 2024 3:58 PM
'Fractured landscape:' Abortions in the U.S. are increasing, despite 'drastic' bans
March 25 2024 3:06 PM
Utah violated rights of trans woman inmate who performed surgery on herself, DOJ finds
March 25 2024 12:30 PM
We kiki with Jake Shears about Cabaret, Tammy Faye, Elton, and more
March 25 2024 9:52 AM
Prince William's aversion to spectacle created one — and might spawn a King Harry
March 22 2024 6:24 PM
Outrage after Oklahoma prosecutor declines charges in Nex Benedict bullying death
March 22 2024 5:21 PM