From: "Reis, Elizabeth" Elizabeth.Reis@METROKC.GOV
To:
Subject: strictly fyi: don't say "homosexual" without permission
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 13:51:52 -0800

Dear Safe Schools members and friends ...
Hopefully, this matter (below) will be resolved quickly and without serious penalty to the teacher involved. In the meantime, please please please remember to pay attention to the laws and policies and ethics standards which support and circumscribe our work!!
Will keep you posted ...
TEACHER ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR USE OF THE WORD 'HOMOSEXUAL' IN CLASS
February 03, 1900 - 01:19:12AM [US West] Education
COLORADO LEGAL INITIATIVES PROJECT
PO Box 300397 Denver, CO 80203
Phone (303) 282-5602 Fax (303) 282-5793

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2000
Contact: Kathleen Kern, Esq.
Suzanne Banning
CLIP (303) 282-5602

TEACHER ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR USE OF THE WORD "HOMOSEXUAL" IN CLASS

Colorado Legal Initiatives Project announces that their attorney, Kathleen Kern, has spoken with the Cheltenham Elementary School fifth-grade teacher currently under investigation by Denver Public Schools, and will be representing the teacher in the event the investigation does not result in complete exoneration.

"I have spoken with the teacher, and he currently remain optimistic that Denver Public Schools will choose to do the right thing after they have completed their investigation," states Kern. Kern explains that the teacher under investigation has 11 years of experience instructing, with 6 of those years specifically in the Denver Public Schools. He is loved by his students, and respected by his fellow-teachers. While he considers the attention given this situation unfortunate and very stressful, he still has hope that the situation will be resolved fairly by the administration.

The teacher has been certified by Denver Public Schools to instruct on "Family Life" since 1993. The Family Life class and the topic of sex education is material approved by the Denver Public Schools System. The problem being investigated arose after the fifth-grade teacher responded to questions posed by his various students during his class. The next day, one student's father contacted the teacher, irate and threatening to call the "principal, lawyers, the news, and the Administrative Offices." According to school policy, the teacher immediately informed his principal of the parent's threats.

The teacher concedes that he unintentionally failed to follow school policy for presenting "Controversial Issues in the Classroom," when he neglected to send a consent form to parents prior to the class. However, as he explains, "that was not the angry father's complaint. The father informed me that he only had one question for me: 'Did you say the word homosexual in the classroom?"

The teacher is surprised and concerned at the reaction of the parent. "All I did was respond to the questions of the students about different sexual orientations in the same manner my wife and I would respond to our child. I told the children that many different types of families exist, and that sometimes people of the same sex love each other. I also told them that some religions and cultures judge this to be wrong."

Kern emphasizes that "Our hope at CLIP is that the Denver Public Schools Administration is diligent in maintaining the proper focus in their investigation. The focus should be centered on the lack of consent received, and the incident should be addressed as would any other parallel lack of consent by a coach taking the team on out of town trip, or a teacher showing a PG-13 movie in class. I am relatively confident that the school will avoid joining into this one father's reaction regarding the subject-matter of the class."

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The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 85 organizations (government agencies, schools, community agencies, churches, youth/student groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights groups) and many individuals working to help Washington State schools become safe places where every family can belong, where every educator can teach, and where every child can learn, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

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