School can expel lesbian students, court rules

[DaemonSeid]

Link


Reporting from San Francisco -- After a Lutheran school expelled two 16-year-old girls for having "a bond of intimacy" that was "characteristic of a lesbian relationship," the girls sued, contending the school had violated a state anti-discrimination law.

In response to that suit, an appeals court decided this week that the private religious school was not a business and therefore did not have to comply with a state law that prohibits businesses from discriminating. A lawyer for the girls said Tuesday that he would ask the California Supreme Court to overturn the unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal.


The appeals court called its decision "narrow," but lawyers on both sides of the case said it would protect private religious schools across California from such discrimination suits.

[Senusret I]

In DC, they would have won.

[deepimpact2]

It shouldn't be overturned. It's a religious school. Church and state are supposed to be separate.

They should've been kicked out.

[Benzgirl]

In San Francisco?

[Kevin]

It's a dumbass policy, but I think the court's decision is right.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

In San Francisco?

A lawyer for the girls said Tuesday that he would ask the California Supreme Court to overturn the unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal.

The California 4th District Court of Appeal is in San Diego. The Supreme Court of California sits in San Francisco.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by Kevin

It's a dumbass policy, but I think the court's decision is right.

I don't see anything that qualifies it as a dumba** policy.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

In San Francisco?

The school is in Riverside county, which is not close to San Fran.

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

I don't see anything that qualifies it as a dumba** policy.

Its dumb that they are basing it on the fact that the girl's friendship/relationship was "characteristic of a lesbian relationship." But then again this is a private school and they can do dumbass things.

[VandalSquirrel]

If it is the school I am thinking of, it is a WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) school and they are very conservative in comparison to what I practice in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America). I'm not saying every ELCA member is 100% ok with GLBT people, nor is every WELS member not okay with GLBT people, but it doesn't surprise me at all if it is a WELS school.

For example, women are not pastors in the Wisconsin Synod, you have to be baptized Wisconsin Synod to have communion during their service (my church lets any baptized person partake, and we have agreements with other denominations), and really GeekyPenguin knows a lot more about WELS than I do.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by epchick

Its dumb that they are basing it on the fact that the girl's friendship/relationship was "characteristic of a lesbian relationship." But then again this is a private school and they can do dumbass things.

That doesn't mean it's dumb.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

That doesn't mean it's dumb.

You can go ahead and believe it isn't dumb. I do.

I think it's stupid to assume that two girls who have a close relationship are lesbians, whether they are or not. I tell my close friends that I love them, it doesn't mean that I'm a lesbian.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by epchick

You can go ahead and believe it isn't dumb. I do.

I think it's stupid to assume that two girls who have a close relationship are lesbians, whether they are or not. I tell my close friends that I love them, it doesn't mean that I'm a lesbian.

It's obvious that we aren't getting the whole story. I think there is much more to it.

Even so, if the girls were telling people they were lesbians, and that goes against the school's policy, I say good riddance. It's no different from students in public schools being expelled for doing something against school policy.

[Senusret I]

...which is dumb.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

...which is dumb.

Actually it's NOT dumb to expect students not to conduct themselves in a manner inconsistent with or in violation of school policy.

[Senusret I]

I fully expect students to rebel against dumb policies.