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Joe Quigley - Davis bans Gay 9/11 memorial


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The following are emails from Joe Quigley
(Posted 9-10-02)

Last week Paul Bashline sent a two part email with the names and Bios of some Gay and Lesbian people involved in 9-11.
Now, most of the news stories I have seen mention husbands, wives, fiancees and those children born without a parent who perished.
      I wrote the following request to the principal of NWClassen

(heading)
in accordance with paragraph J of the faculty handbook, I, as I am sure all teachers will be doing so as to avoid meetings and reprimands for not following policy, am requesting permission to have a display in my room on September 11
This display will consist of the names and short biographical information on some of the victims and heroes of that tragic event.

I received this reply, handwritten at the bottom of the memo.

I'll be there to view it today. Thanks for the request
(signature 9-9-02)

The principal was at my room more than once yesterday (09/09/02), but either I was not there, or he saw there was nothing to inspect.
This morning before school (09/10/02) he came to my room looking toward the bulletin board asking where the display was, but I told him I did not have it up. He told me he would came back later.
During one of my classes as the kids read silently, I hung the list (tastefully glued to construction paper) along with the Daily Oklahoman of 09/12/01. As I was heading to lunch I passed the principal informing him that the display was up for his inspection.
    When I returned from lunch I found this stick-em on the display.

Mr. Quigley, either remove the statements about these victims, or place heterosexual information about victims alongside.

One can only assume (?) that if other posters go up references to wives, husbands, fiancees and the post tragedy-born babies will not be allowed unless accompanied by similar and relevant references to life partners and other loved ones left behind. After all, as the principal has repeated at witnessed meetings, we do not favor heterosexuls, nor do we bring heterosexuality up.

Later in the day he traced me down to another teacher's classroom where I was visiting and handed me the following memo.

(heading)
I came by your room at 11:25 AM to see your display as you had requested. You had already posted this in violation of school policy J, which indicates prior approval shall be receivd before posting informational signs or posters. You are directed to remove it by 1:50 PM today, Septembr 10. I will review it after the faculty meeting this afternoon.
Thankyou for your compliance.
    Notice, there is no reference at all to what was on the stick-em which I saved, but the memo gives the appearance that the only offense was to violating the order of permission to posting. Not hard to see what impression he seeks to give while avoiding his real hang up. HMMMMMM
(call me paranoid, but I was under the impression that he would check it out once it was hung. He did not, after all, ask to see the unhung display when he came to my class that morning, but rather indicated by his action of looking toward the bulletin board, and asking where it was hung, that  my hanging it for his inspection was not violating Paragraph J).
    He then came to my room at 12:55 while I had students in my classroom and was handing a referral note to one I had told to wait out in the hall. He asked if I was going to remove it. I told him I would comply with his directive, but he was a little early.
     It was down by 1:50 PM.
Another teacher ( actually two-one concerned about the principal's seeming lurking around my room)had come to me concerned in the middle of all this that she had passed my room during lunch and saw through my door window that the principal was going through my desk. I, personally believe it was to find a pen, but I did find my framed statement from Dr. Faison of November 11, 1998 on the subject of sexual harassment. to wit:
Recently there have been same-sex sexual harassment complaints. And, more and more we have to realize that among our children there are some of thm who have not determined, fully, their sexuality, and there are some of our children that may be Gay. Regardless of what you think, let me tell you one thing that is imperative, those children must be protected.
If we don't pay attention and protect those children we are in violation pf their rights under Title IX.
Back in 1999 this was one of things I was told I had to remove from my room because the principal did not hear him say it, even though he said it at a full faculty staff development meeting at the school at which I taught before transferring to NWClassen. ( I know he considers himself Christian, but isn' t that based on all the things Jesus said, but he didn't hear Him say)
    Since we still have, as yet, not received anything related to sexual harassment to hang in our rooms, and as we have not had an assembly or any other way to notify parents and students about not accepting sexual harassment recently ( I refer you to the OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT RESOLUTION of November 6, 2000: case 06001240) I hung it in my new room at the beginning of this year.
   The principal had removed this and placed it on my desk (I cannot fathom his not wanting the kids to know they are protected from sexual harassment, nor to let students really know GLBT students are as well).
The stick-em read:
This is the same statement I requested Dr. Hawthorne Faison's confirmation in writing. A memo will follow (signature)
It did:
(heading)
You have posted a statement from Hawthorne Faison that he says he never made. You were previously asked to seek and provide verification of this statement. You have failed to do so (this clearly ignores my letter to Dr. Faison dated January 8, 2001 cc'ed to the principal, Dr. Guy Sconzo, the then Deputy Superintendent, Joyce Henderson of School/Community Affairs and Ted Metscher of AFT in which I sought his verification which I did not get a response to and when I personally went to the Administration building to get was informed he had retired.) and this is posted without permission.
Please see me to set a meeting to discuss this situation. You are entitled to bring representation.
There's his favorite"without permission" uniquely applied to me while totally inconsistent, if at all, to the rest of the faculty.
He realy does not want anything positive related to GLBT kids in his school.
Wait til you see the next email!!!!!
Joe

 

 

As I have mentioned before, the principal, in an attempt to rewrite the purpose of the community bulletin board has decided that anything GLBT related must go on it, and only on IT. Thereby limiting the information, while giving the appearance of an open mind and being the good guy. And that is that.
     Meanwhile there are Campus for Christ posters all over, as well as the ones for Campus Impact and  the weekly prayer group. In one of today's announcements when advertising the weekly "Pizza with Jesus" (not its official name, but its sobriquet as the kids use it as an excuse to skip class sometimes, and they do have pizza and a lot of Jesus) it was stated that it was a christian non-denominational activity (no Matzos with Moses at this school).
     Recently I submitted the Soulforce poster for their video to be placed on the board, and it was. I guess since he has been claiming the bulletin board as the sole repository of all Gay info he couldn't very well turn it down.
    I also submitted a pamphlet for Norman's YOTSO (Youth Open To Sexual Orientation).
Today in my mail box I found a xerox of the inside of the pamphlet. There is a section that says what YOTSO is not ( a dating service, trying to change anyone etc.). The principal had underlined the statement "[not]a forum for argument or disruption. Those alligned with our AIM are welcome, however, those opposed are encouraged to find another forum for debate" with the notation "INTERESTING"
initialed.
   I xeroxed this and added " you must remember these kids hear all the negative stuff all the time--even at school. YOTSO is a SAFE PLACE where they can talk without having to defend themselves from the name calling and the biblical misquotes they are usually subjected to. Remember, they get a steady diet of the negative. They need a safe place."
   I placed this in his in-box and later received it back with the following in red ink in his handwriting.
   "Perfect! this is the kind of place we have been searching for instead of a school" initialed.
    So, GLBT kids don't need a group at school, just like getting postive information, they can go off campus.
   Even though the "christian" kids not only have church on sundays and wednesdays, but a bevy of religious events and activities at school, GLBT kids (to the apparent relief of the principal) can have their group off campus. Dodged that bullet he did.
    The pamphlet is hanging, but the attitude is obvious.
We don't need GLBT positive information in the library. Unlike the straight kids who have books on dating and relationships in the library, our GLBT kids can go elsewhere. We don't need a safe place at school (he refuses to allow me to hang a safe-place poster on my door even though it is a program of the AFL-CIO) because the GLBT kids, unlike the "christian kids who have a bunch of things even if the Equal Access Act has to be ignored (Twice! have I sent anything on that gem?) can just go feel safe somewhere else.
       Why expect safety at school when it is available elsewhere?
Though you'd like to know.
Joe Quigley

 

 

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