Objections from
some parents led officials of a high school on the island
of Maui in Hawaii to restrict the showing of a video about
discrimination against gays. King Kekaulike High
School had planned to show the 50-minute video this
month to ninth-, 10th-, and 11th-grade students. Area
superintendent Kenneth Nomura said that after meeting with
Principal Susan Scofield and some teachers, they
decided to allow only students who had parental
permission to view the video. Students now must have a
parent sign a permission slip to watch the video. Nomura said the decision to show the video was
based on school board policy that calls for schools to
present various viewpoints on controversial issues.
But about 30 parents objected after watching the video
at the school library. Ron Ark, grandfather of a student at King
Kakaulike High School, said the majority of people
attending the viewing were against showing the video
because it portrayed Christians as being the "bad guys." He
said the video wasn't well-researched, adding,
"They're promoting their gay agenda." But Connie McAboy, whose 17-year-old son is gay,
said the video was intended to help solve problems of
harassment and physical abuse of gay students on
campus. Tony McAboy said the harassment problem is so bad
that he has decided to get a GED rather than attend his
senior year at the school. (AP)