The Gay-Straight Alliance in Janesville's high schools will be allowed to keep posters up for the "Day of Silence" scheduled for Friday.
The effort to promote tolerance towards gay and lesbian students led to complaints this week from some community members. At Tuesday's board of education meeting, citizens spoke out against Gay-Straight Alliance posters in the hallways of district high schools — and more. "I've walked though the halls of Craig High School and Parker High School , and witnessed girls kissing and holding hands, boys kissing, cuddling and holding hands," claimed one woman. "I'm appalled, absolutely appalled." Craig High School principal Mike Kuehne says comments about gay couples kissing in school hallways is not a familiar complaint: "I'm not sure when the person visited Craig High School, that she saw these activities happening," Kuehne told WCLO . "She never reported it to me, and I'm not sure why she was at Craig High School."
The school board held an informal discussion on Tuesday about whether posters for the Gay-Straight Alliance's "Day of Silence" were appropriate for public schools. School Board Commissioner Bill Sodemann said he was concerned they promote a lifestyle instead of education. Kuehne said the federal No Child Left Behind Act allows groups equal opportunities to have clubs and activities in high schools. He added that students probably won't be disciplined or punished if they don't participate in class for Friday's "Day of Silence."
