ACLU urges school to reinstate student

The American Civil Liberties Union urged a Fullerton, Calif., school district to reinstate a high school newspaper editor who was dismissed for publishing an article in the school paper about three gay students. School officials were wrong to remove student Ann Long from her shared post as editor in chief of Troy High School's newspaper in January, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California said in a letter to the local superintendent. Long's December 17 article in the Oracle chronicled the decisions of three students--two 18-year-olds and a 15-year-old--to reveal their homosexuality and bisexuality to family and friends. All three spoke to Long knowing their names would be used. A message left Monday with the Fullerton Joint Union High School District received no response. School officials argued previously that Long needed parental permission before publishing the students' stories. However, the state attorney general has maintained that no such permission was needed, the ACLU said. "I got the approval of my journalism adviser, I checked my facts, and all the students agreed to tell their stories in this article," Long said in a statement. "I thought this was an important issue, and so did my sources, to discuss in the school newspaper because it promotes tolerance and understanding." (AP)