GLSEN Concerned by Local School Board Action in Harrisonburg, VA

New York, NY – The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, expresses its deep concern over Harrisonburg School Board’s policy revisions, which would restrict student’s participation in all of Harrison High School’s curricular and non-curricular activities.

On December 7th, the Harrisonburg School Board voted unanimously to implement a parental consent policy that would require students that wished to become members of any student club to receive parental consent. This policy was put in place after students recently created a Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA, which are increasingly common in America’s schools. Nearly 3,000 GSAs are registered with GLSEN. The policy revision came after some parents expressed concern about the GSA and did not want the club allowed.

GLSEN’s founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings said, “What we need today is to encourage the involvement of students in the life of their school, both inside and outside the classroom. The Harrisonburg school board should encourage students’ full and equal access to school life — as required by federal law – and not create barriers to student involvement that will ultimately result in more paperwork and red tape for educators and students alike.”

School boards in Utah, Kentucky and California have all failed in their attempts over the last years to restrict student participation in GSAs. The Equal Access Act (EAA) requires schools to treat student clubs that address LGBT issues the same as any other student group.

“The courts have ruled decisively that GSA’s must be treated the same as any other club,” said Jennings. “Unable to use the law to advance their ideological opposition to the laudable efforts of the GSA students to combat bigotry at Harrison High, the Board has chosen instead to erect barriers to participation in school life that hurt all students.”

About GLSEN
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN’s educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.