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By: DYANA BAGBY
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Non-academic clubs at White County High School in north Georgia are officially banned this school year after administrators decided to implement a proposal made last year when students tried to form a gay-straight alliance.
Superintendent Paul Shaw said Tuesday that school officials agreed to enact the proposal made by White County High School Principal Bryan Dorsey last March. The school board didn’t officially take action on the proposal after the school’s attorney said it was legal to allow Dorsey to make the decision for the school, Shaw said.
“Our attorney said we should just let the high school administration decide what’s best. We took the advice from our attorney and went on with it,” Shaw said.
The school sent a letter to students in late July informing them of the changes, Shaw added. School began Aug. 8.
In March, Dorsey recommended to the superintendent and school board that all non-curricular clubs be banned from the school and instead such clubs be led by adults in the community.
Dorsey’s recommendation came just two days after administrators approved the formation of Peers Rising In Diverse Education, a gay-straight club led by Kerry Pacer, 17, a lesbian.
Administrators agreed to allow the club to form after months of heated debate including a contentious school board meeting in February in which preachers railed against homosexuality, as well as a protest at the school by congregants of Rev. Fred Phelps’ church in Topeka, Kan., which is known for protesting the funeral of slain gay college student Matthew Shepherd.
The ACLU of Georgia also applied pressure on the system, saying to disallow clubs violated federal law.
In addition to PRIDE, other clubs banned this school year include the Key Club, Interact, Students Against Drunk Driving and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, school system officials said.
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