School district To Reverse Gay Ban

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- The Orange Unified School District plans to settle a federal lawsuit by reversing an earlier decision to ban a gay-tolerance club from meeting at an area high school.

The district's board was expected to formally approve the agreement Thursday, the first day of classes for the system's high schools, spokeswoman Judy Frutig said.

As part of the settlement, the board said Tuesday it will vote to change its policies on school clubs before approving the Gay-Straight Alliance Club, Frutig said.

The new rules will prohibit student clubs from discussing sexual activity and create a system that will allow parents to object to a child's participation in any school group, she said.

In December, the board unanimously rejected the Gay-Striaght Alliance Club at El Modena High School, prompting a federal lawsuit by two students who wanted to create a forum for gay students to discuss discrimination.

They said the board violated the Equal Access Act, which prohibits public schools that take federal money from excluding particular noncircular clubs if they allows others.

The students involved in the club are happy their fight with the school board has ended, said their attorney, Myron Dean Quon.

"What it comes down to is, we're happy to be able to dispense of costly litigation and we're happy the kids can go back to being regular school kids and not under such great public scrutiny,'' he said.

There is no financial settlement included in the agreement, he added.

In Utah, meanwhile, the Salt Lake City School District voted Tuesday to end its four-year ban on nonacademic clubs that was imposed to keep a gay-straight alliance from meeting.

Board members -- some who even voted for the ban in 1996 -- rejected the idea that allowing students to form extracurricular clubs would be promoting a gay and lesbian lifestyle.

The new policy allows students to create academic clubs sponsored by the school, and nonacademic clubs that cannot participate in school fund-raisers.

After the meeting, students from Highland High School were already making plans for what clubs they want to form, including ones for meat eaters, swimmers and skiers.

"I'm so excited. I can barely wait to have clubs,'' said senior Bridger Jensen. "Now we can have more leadership opportunities.''

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