WE BELIEVE IN DIVERSITY.
AND DIVERSITY IS A VALUE AND A
RESPECT AND A REGARD FOR EVERY
ORGANIZATION, EVERY IDENTITY
AND FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING.
A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS BEING
SUED BECAUSE OF A CHILD'S ESSAY
ABOUT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
THIS IS HAPPENING AT ANDERSON
MILL ELEMENTARY.
THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES THE
PRINCIPAL TOLD THE CHILD THE
TOPIC WAS AN APPROPRIATE.
THE DISTRICT HAS SINCE
RESPONDED AND SO HASN'T LGBTQ
ADVOCACY GROUP.
MIKELL SMITH JOINS US NOW WITH
MORE DETAILS.
THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED A
COUPLE DAYS AGO AND IS SPARKING
A LOT OF CONVERSATION.
THE LAWSUIT FILED BY PARENT
AGAINST SPARTANBURG DISTRICT 6,
ANDERSON MILL ELEMENTARY AND
THE PRINCIPAL CLAIMS THE
PRINCIPAL VIOLATED THE FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF FOURTH-
GRADERS WHEN SHE DECIDED THAT
CHILD'S LGBTQ ESSAY WAS AN
APPROPRIATE.
SOUTH CAROLINA ITSELF HAS
OVER 7200 IDENTIFIED FAMILIES.
THE 10-YEAR-OLD WAS ASSIGNED
TO WRITE A PAPER ON ANY TOPIC.
THE SUIT SAYS THE CHILD WHOSE
GRANDFATHER IS A HOMOSEXUAL
SUBMITTED A PAPER TO HELP
SOCIETY LEARN TO TREAT MEMBERS
OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY EQUALLY.
ACCORDING TO THE SUIT ALL THE
STUDENTS PAPERS WERE TO BE
COMBINED AND PUBLISHED BUT THE
SUIT CLAIMS THE PRINCIPAL
REVIEWED THE PAPERS AND DECIDED
THIS PAPER WOULD NOT BE
PUBLISHED BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE
OTHER PARENTS UPSET AND IT WAS
NOT AGE-APPROPRIATE.
SHE THEN HAVE THE CHILD WRITE A
PAPER ABOUT BULLYING.
ONE PARENT COMMENTED ON OUR
FACEBOOK PAGE THAT HIS SON GOES
TO THE SCHOOL AND THE TOPIC IS
NOT AGE-APPROPRIATE.
THIS CHILD TO ME WAS PURELY
SPEAKING ON HER FAMILY FORM
WHICH IS CERTAINLY A NORMAL
THING FOR FOURTH-GRADER TO DO.
SPARTANBURG DISTRICT HAS
RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING, WE
DO CONSIDER THE CLAIMS TO BE
INACCURATE.
THE DISTRICT HAS FORWARDED A
COPY OF THE LAWSUIT TO OUR
ATTORNEY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO
SHARING OUR SIDE OF THE STORY
AND TREAT EVERY CHILD WITH
KINDNESS, RESPECT AND WITHOUT
DISCRIMINATION.
WE ALL HAVE VALUE.
THE PLAINTIFF CLAIMS THE
CHILD FREEDOM OF SPEECH WAS
DENIED.
A LOT OF PEOPLE COMMENTED THAT
THEY ARE VERY MUCH AGAINST THE
SCHOOLS -- THE PARENTS DECISION
TO FILE LAWSUIT AND EVERYONE I
