Modesto Guidance Counselors To Receive Mandatory Training On LGBT Issues
May 29, 2001
In direct response to the major outpouring of community concern that followed the anti-gay harassment and discrimination of a local student in a Modesto School, the Associate Superintendent of Modesto Schools recently declared that all guidance counselors in the school district will be receiving a mandatory training on LGBT issues at some point in the near future. This quick response has been applauded by GLSEN Modesto and all of its safe schools allies, all of whom worked tirelessly to not only bring this egregious incident to the attention of the overall community and the school board, but also to advocate for immediate and real solutions to this case of anti-gay discrimination and harassment.
The wheels of change began turning when the courageous student approached the local GLSEN chapter for support and assistance in her attempts to get the school district to pay attention to the pernicious anti-gay harassment that she had faced, and to take those proactive steps necessary to ensure that such a situation would never present itself to any student ever again. Because the worst instances of verbal harassment were actually perpetrated by the school's own guidance counselor-who believed that the content of her own diatribe was actually protected by her first amendment rights- it was clear that the incident was indicative of a very serious problem. Rather than being just a case of an individual utilizing their position of authority to harass another individual, this was actually a case in which the school had failed in its duty to inform the guidance counselor about her own legal and professional responsibilities around LGBT issues.
Working tirelessly, the coalition of individuals set out on a massive outreach campaign to not only inform the Modesto community about the incident, and the major problems of anti-LGBT discrimination and ignorance of which the incident was indicative, but also to request individuals' support and participation in asking the superintendent and the school board to take the neccessary steps to address the problem. Another important facet of this strategic campaign took place at the school board meeting, when members of the coalition (including the harassed student) appeared before the board to provide testimony about various experiences of anti-gay harassment, and discrimination that they had experienced or witnessed.
Shortly after this influential, well-attended board meeting, the Superintendent made his statement about the need for mandatory LGBT trainings for all guidance counselors in the district, and he set up a committee of individuals, including some individuals from the coalition of activists, to guide the creation and implementation of the training.
The Superintendent's declaration has been well-received by the harassed student, GLSEN Modesto, and all other individuals who devoted their time and resources to this issue campaign. They believe that this is the district's first step along its journey toward truly safe and inclusive schools for all and because of this, the activists have pledged their assistance and resources to this effort, planning to ensure the district's eventual attainment of that goal.
Ultimately, GLSEN Modesto and its activist allies have attained a huge victory. For not only have they achieved results that have and will continue to produce produce real, concrete change in people's lives, but they have also empowered their own constituents and allies in the process, thus making them aware of their own power to have their voices heard, and their prescence and influence felt by those in power.
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