Anoka-Hennepin schools threatened with suit over Snow Days coronation barring lesbian couple
Friday, January 28, 2011 at 12:18 pm
- 10 Comments
The Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Faegre & Benson, LLP, sent a letter to the Anoka-Hennepin School District on Friday threatening to take the district to court if it does not allow a lesbian couple elected by the student body to walk together during the Champlin Park High School Snow Days coronation ceremony on Monday.
The district changed the ceremony after two lesbian students, Desiree Shelton and Sarah Lindstrom, were elected by the student body to be a part of the event. For years, students walked in as couples, and students could choose who they wanted to walk with, but when Shelton and Lindstrom were elected, the district changed the policy.
“We are writing to notify you that the school’s actions violate their rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, the Minnesota Constitution, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act,” the groups said in a letter to the district. “If the school does not notify Desiree and Sarah before 12:00 noon on Friday, January 28, 2011, that it is rescinding these discriminatory actions, we will file an action for a temporary restraining order with the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.”
The Minnesota Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“We are simply asking that these two students be granted the same rights as every other student, as they are due under both state and federal law,” said Sam Wolfe, lead attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center. “It is an absolute shame that the school and school district have tarnished what should be a joyous celebration through these discriminatory actions. Hopefully, they will see the error in their ways, and correct it immediately.”
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, added, “Dez and Sarah were chosen by their peers as ‘royalty’ for the Snow Days Pep Fest and Coronation, and Champlin Park High School’s refusal to accept them as a couple shows that the school administration’s attitudes lag far behind those of the students they serve.”
Here’s the letter:
SPLC_Anoka_letter012811
Follow Andy Birkey on Twitter10 Comments
Comment posted January 28, 2011 @ 12:24 pm
Props to The Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Faegre & Benson, LLP. Go get ‘em!
Comment posted January 28, 2011 @ 2:16 pm
Shows you the bold-faced lie of a “neutrality policy.” There is NO ROOM for HATE GROUPS in Minnesota!
Comment posted January 28, 2011 @ 2:45 pm
Hit ‘em where it hurts……in their wallets, since they clearly don’t have hearts.
Comment posted January 28, 2011 @ 3:03 pm
They are treating the lesbian couple exactly the same way as heterosexual couples. No couples, including heterosexual couples will be walk into coronation event together. The word rights is thrown around like candy at a parade. Every person’s God given rights are diluted when you make claims that every topic you disagree with is a rights issue. No student has a right to have a cororation ceremony at the school. No student, including lesbian students have a right to tell the school that they must have a coronomation ceremony. If minority group advocates like the Southern Law Poverty Center would focus on the big issues instead of crying wolf every time anything involves a minority couple, they would be gain a lot more credibility with the main stream public.
Comment posted January 28, 2011 @ 3:26 pm
Lenny, you’re missing the fundamental point. The changed how they treated everyone in order to avoid letting the lesbian be treated just like everyone else. It’s cutting off the nose to spite the face.
Comment posted January 28, 2011 @ 5:04 pm
Lenny,
It’s about equitable treatment. Your point would make sense if they had never let couples march together. That’s not the case and you know it. Their stated neutral stance would dictate that a gay couple would not change how they have operated for decades. A gay couple did change how they operate. Thank god the kids are much, much more enlightened than the staff.
Comment posted January 28, 2011 @ 7:30 pm
This just furthers the lawsuit. The school continues to delve deeper into their discrimination. Picked a college yet ladies?
@ Lenny, your sorry ass excuses were just tried and failed in Mississippi and you bigots fail to learn your lessons.
“The government of the US is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.
The United States of America should have a foundation free from the influence of clergy.”
George Washington
Comment posted January 29, 2011 @ 8:30 am
Lenny u r sadly mistaken. We should have equal rights just like any straight couple should,and just because u say different only makes u a sad and lonely individual. What if the role was reversed? Would u still feel the same? All we went is the same rights as everyone else in this world and because of people like u that feel the same, we have hate crimes and many other things. At least u can call ur wife ur wife and file joint tax returns, but its people like u that we cant have the same rights as others.
Comment posted January 30, 2011 @ 7:06 pm
The school officials in Anoka-Hennepin SD who are responsible for this mess should be FIRED. How can you orchestrate such rank discrimination and keep your job?!!??! LOSERS.
Comment posted February 1, 2011 @ 4:14 pm
When people in power have their own lifestyle choices such as their religion as the power and forefront we will always see such rank discrimination.
For Religion is a choice and by definition a lifestyle, since it is based on its practices. Being born gay is not.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
