Despite an ex-principal's witch hunt for homosexuals after a peaceful student protest, the small community of Ponce de Leon is upset by a judges decision. The ACLU filed suit against the district following protests that ignited over gay rights.
If you think all school districts in the country are bound by some basic human rights standards when dealing with harassment and bullying, think again. A rural district of around 500 residents in Holms County, located on the Florida and Georgia border failed to protect a student from harassment when she went to the principal and asked for help. Why? Because the girl was a lesbian.
Principal David Davis lost his administrative title after he was successfully sued by the ACLU for what is being called a "witch hunt" for gays.
After the senior of Ponce de Leon High School told Davis she was being harassed because of her sexual orientation, Davis informed the student's parents that the girl was a lesbian, told her that being gay was wrong and ordered her to say away from other students, as was explained in the
Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
His actions spawned protests by other students, who wore T-shirts and buttons in support of homosexuality. Davis, however, countered the protest by questioning the sexual orientation of protesters, suspending some and even lifted the shirts of female students in the school to check for
Gay Pride symbols.
According to the Judges ruling:
"Davis embarked on what can only be characterized as a 'witch hunt' to identify students who were homosexual and their supporters, further adding fuel to the fire," U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak recounted in his ruling. "He went so far as to lift the shirts of female students to insure the letters 'GP' or the words 'Gay Pride' were not written on their bodies."
The ruling forced Davis to lose his Principal's position, although the district superintendent allowed him to teach at the school, as well as requiring sensitivity training for all employees. They were also ordered to pay over $300,000 US dollars to the ACLU in attorney's fees.
Although the tiny town claims to be a good "Christian" town where they "feel" that homosexuality is wrong, for a state entity to express a religious bias is indeed a slippery slope when it comes to the age-old argument of separation of church and state. Even the superintendent was reported in the news article to display a Bible on his desk and scriptures in frames on his walls.
The request of the student was for protection from harassment and it appears that the protector turned out to be just another individual whose religious agenda served to validate a senseless act of victimization. For the town of Ponce de Leon, those who fought bravely are now marked with what equates to the scarlet letter, forever known as troublemakers.
As for Davis, he is still viewed as a kind and good-hearted Christian leader who did nothing wrong. A hero in the eyes of this Bible Belt community.
