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THE DETROIT FREE PRESS
321 W. Lafayette Blvd.,Detroit,MI,48231
FAX 313-222-6774, E-MAIL: Editpg@det-freepress.com or

DFPLetters@cis.compuserve.com

By Jeffrey S. Ghannam

With two half-days left in the school year, the Allen Park Board of Education on Monday night overwhelmingly approved an anti-harassment policy and a sexual harassment policy.

Neither of them, however, include the words 'sexual orientation,' and it disappointed Joshua Winowiecki, 14, who - along with his family and a civil rights attorney - tried to get the term included in the policy.

In May, Winowiecki's mother asked the board to act to keep her son free of harassment from other Allen Park High School students. Winowiecki said he has been called names, spit on, and had stones and pictures of naked men thrown at him after word got out that he was gay. On Monday night, Winowiecki said the anti-harassment policy could be improved. 'I'm happy they passed what they did,' said Winowiecki, who is a freshman. But added, 'That's really not going to help me at all.'

[* Side Note from television coverage: PFLAG-DETROIT and the Triangle Foundation attended the meeting and PFLAG-DETROIT's president spoke to the board. A past graduate of the high school spoke of the anti-gay harassment he suffered while at school. The lawyer representing Joshua has had previous problems with two homophobic board members. Keep writing to the board, it was indicated that people will continue through the summer to change the policy to include sexual orientation.

Allen Park High School, 18401 Champaign, Allen Park, MI 48101

The Triangle Foundation (ant-violence organization), 19641 West 7 mile Road, Detroit, MI 48219, 313-537-3323

PFLAG-Detroit, P.O. Box 145, Farmington, MI 48332, 810-656-2875