The Provo City
School District is considering a new policy on school
clubs following approval of a gay-straight alliance club at
Provo High School in Utah. The club received approval
last week, superintendent Randy Merrill said.
At least one district board member questions
whether such clubs should be allowed. Merrill said
principal Sam Ray's questions about whether state and
federal law allowed the clubs prompted the district to draft
a policy similar to that of the Granite School
District. It would require anyone who wants to form a
club to apply to the district. Parental consent would
be required for noncurricular clubs. The policy would not
allow a club that is "deemed vulgar and/or lewd and
therefore is inconsistent with the fundamental values
of public education" or that "could subject students
to harassment or persecution." A club application
could be denied to "maintain boundaries of social
appropriate behavior."
"We did not have a district policy on clubs, so
because of that we decided to find out what state
guidelines were, talk to other districts, to get a
policy together," said Greg Hudnall, director of student services.
The proposed policy cites state law that allows
school districts to prevent the formation of clubs
that "involve human sexuality." The policy also would
prohibit clubs that "advocate or approve sexual
activity outside of marriage, or involve presentations in
violation of laws or regulations governing sex
education or privacy rights of individuals or families."
Merrill said nothing in the proposed policy
would prevent the Provo High club from forming,
because the federal Equal Access Act allows such
groups. The act requires that schools receiving federal
funding and allowing noncurricular groups should treat
all noncurricular clubs equally.
Board of education vice president Sandy Packard
said she thinks the policy would disallow the club.
She said she hoped to get some legal clarification,
because while state law does not appear to allow the club,
the Equal Access Act protects it. "According to those parts
of the policy which reflect state law, it doesn't seem
to me that according to policy, we should be allowing
gay clubs. We can't comply with both. It's a catch-22.
I don't see how the federal and state laws are
compatible," she said.
Valerie Larabee, executive director of the Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of
Utah, said gay-straight alliances provide needed
dialogue between gay and straight students. "These kids are
not advocating for sexual activity," she said. "They are
coming together as kids that have common concerns and
common beliefs."
She said the clubs are a forum to discuss
acceptance: "What they are mostly concerned about is
harassment and discrimination in schools. They are a
place where the kids can come together and talk about being
safe in schools. They're kids, and they're concerned
about how to educate other kids about not harassing
and discriminating against people because they're different."
Provo High senior Kashi Medford, one of the
students leading the effort to form the club, said,
"We have actually a lot of sexual harassment in the
school that you really don't notice until you sit down and
think about it. It's not [the administration of] Provo
High's fault. They're doing everything they can. It's
just like commentary made by people. It's a lot of
things you hear in the classrooms, locker rooms."
The Salt Lake City School District banned all
clubs in 1995 to prevent a gay-straight alliance from
forming at East High School. After lawsuits and
student protests, the district reversed its decision and
allowed clubs in schools. (AP)