Teens Accused of Being Lesbians Sue School

[wordsmythe]

RIVERSIDE, Calif. Dec 30, 2005 — Two 16-year-olds who were expelled from a Lutheran high school because they were suspected of being lesbians have sued the school for invasion of privacy and discrimination.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Riverside County Superior Court, seeks the girls' re-enrollment at the small California Lutheran High School, unspecified damages and an injunction barring the school from excluding gays and lesbians.

Kirk D. Hanson, an attorney for the girls, said the expulsion traumatized and humiliated them.

"Their entire support network was pulled out from under them because of suspicions about their sexual orientation," said Hanson, who declined to say whether his clients are lesbians.

The school is on Christmas break until next week, and messages left for school officials Thursday were not immediately returned.

The lawsuit alleges that the school's principal, Gregory Bork, called the girls into his office, grilled them on their sexual orientation and "coerced" one girl into saying she loved the other.

The next day, the lawsuit says, Bork told the girls' parents they could not stay at the school with "those feelings." In a Sept. 12 letter to the parents, Bork acknowledged that officials had seen no physical contact between the girls but said their friendship was "uncharacteristic of normal girl relationships and more characteristic of a lesbian one."

"Such a relationship violates our Christian Code of Conduct," Bork wrote in his letter, which was included as an exhibit in the lawsuit. He called the girls' behavior "scandalous" and "immoral."

Hanson said the 142-student school in Wildomar, Calif., must comply with state civil rights laws because it functions as a business by collecting tuition.

"There's a lot of hypocrisy going on here," Hanson said. "The school is claiming the girls were expelled because their conduct wasn't within the Christian code. But at the same time, (the school) has students who aren't Christians and are even Jewish."

[Lone Gunman]

I have to say let them back in school. We can't have a bunch of uneducated lesbians running around.

[Highwayman]

It’s a private school with a code of conduct. But the school will be on shaky ground because of this;

The lawsuit alleges that the school's principal, Gregory Bork, called the girls into his office, grilled them on their sexual orientation and "coerced" one girl into saying she loved the other.

The next day, the lawsuit says, Bork told the girls' parents they could not stay at the school with "those feelings." In a Sept. 12 letter to the parents, Bork acknowledged that officials had seen no physical contact between the girls but said their friendship was "uncharacteristic of normal girl relationships and more characteristic of a lesbian one."

A coerced statement without any real evidence to back it up probably will not stand up in court.

[wordsmythe]

Yep just because they are close friends doesn't mean they are gay and if they are then they aren't putting it on as a public display.

[K C Muffin]

They kicked them out because they suspected them of being gay???

I can see this is a church-sponsored school and, if not supported by any tax moneys, probably has certain liberties to accept or deny admittance to any student. But to outright say it was because they suspected their sexual preference is just stupid!!! If this is all the smarts this school administrator had, I say throw the book at him and let him try and dig himself out. What a moron.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by K C Muffin

They kicked them out because they suspected them of being gay???

Does this sound like the typical paranoid, intolerant Christian group to anyone?????

[lurker]

You can't trust those Lutherans.... Garrison Keillor's one of em. And he hates Bush.

All this talk about lesbians reminds me about when someone posted on dct that Cheney "raised his daughter a lesbian." doG loved that... still laughing.

[TexKan]

I thought California was the state that "loves" everyone.....so where is the problem???? That school board nees to start interviewing for a replacement.

[K C Muffin]

I think it's too late for that, Texie - I think those girls will own that school soon.

[TexKan]

Yeah wish I could get paid for all the bad things I have been called in my lifetime......LOL........ those girls don't need no lottery..... their tuition was their ticket.............