Federal judge
rules Georgia high school must allow GSA

A federal judge Friday told Georgia's White County High School it must allow students in the gay-straight alliance club to meet on campus. U.S. district court judge William C. O'Kelley ruled that the school cannot deny the GSA equal access or a fair opportunity to conduct meetings on school premises during noninstructional time. According to the judge, school officials had violated the Federal Equal Access Act by barring the group from meeting on campus, while allowing other noncurricular clubs to do so. His ruling also said that the school cannot discriminate against student groups on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical, or other content of their speech. ACLU of Georgia associate legal director Beth Litrell called it "a great victory for the lesbian and gay students and their friends at White County High School who will finally be allowed to meet and can begin to address the violence and harassment against gay students at the school." (Sirius OutQ News)