Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:46:33 -0800 From: Jean Richter Subject: 3/13/98 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. CA: The plight of gay teachers (and San Leandro action info); San Francisco board member proposes adding LG author to curriculum =========================================================================== Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 13:51:31 -0700 From: BobLatham ( Subject: Urgent appeal from San Leandro The San Leandro School Board has not yet adopted Joint Resolution #1381. Faculty Members of the school district will attend en masse the March 17 school board meeting to request that the board act on Joint Resolution #1381. They have asked that our community join them in support of this request by also being present at this school board meeting. Please broadcast as widely as you can to any members of our community the need for showing at the San Leandro School Board meeting of March 17, 1998 at 7:00 p.m. San Leandro City Hall, Council Chambers Room, 835 E. 14th St., San Leandro. We need to support the teachers and the gay and lesbian students in the San Leandro School District. Thanks very much. ----------------- >From Karl Debro (San Leandro teacher under attack): Bob, I just thought you'd want to know that a date has been set for the hearing in my case. There will be a public hearing in the complaints by PIPE members against me on Tuesday, March 31. As yet I don't know the location or time. But you might save the date on your calendar and encourage others to do the same. Below I've written a mock press release to sum up this farce in a nutshell. "In San Leandro the superintendent of public schools is censuring a teacher for allowing students to discuss a school board meeting. The action comes after members of a San Leandro political group called PIPE filed complaints about the teacher for allowing his students to discuss homophobia, racism, and PIPE's campaign to prohibit the discussion of social issues in the class room. PIPE's stated objectives include the prohibition of such discussions in all classes and the "immediate termination" of teachers who allow such discussions. Although the PIPE campaign set off a controversy that led to death threats against openly gay students and faculty, the superintendent issued the teacher a letter of disciplinary warning for allowing his students to discuss the controversy. Karl Debro, who is Black and straight, was also censured for disrespecting straight people. And he was accused of showing a lack of proper respect for white people, though his wife is white, and the couple have a two-year-old son. Another PIPE complaint alleges that Debro is insane. The decision to censure Debro is being appealed by PIPE members because they want Debro fired. Also this school year at SLHS, after PIPE members complained because a lesbian science teacher came out to her class, the teacher was eventually forced to resign, citing the failure of district officials and the school board to support her. The district now claims that it is wrong for gay teachers to come out to their students, although straight teachers are free to reveal their sexual orientation. In December of last year at San Leandro High, a lesbian student couple was forced to leave the school because of anti-gay harassment. PIPE members also have complaints pending against the school's principal Leigh Akins, and against African American assistant principal Bob Williams." That about sums it up, though it's even uglier if you know a few more of the details. Anyway, I'm hoping for a big turn out on the 31. We're also trying to get people to show up at the March 17 meeting to express outrage that the board has not even discussed such measures as adopting 1381 after months of testimony and dozens of letters asking that they do something, and after their repeated pointing to their BS mission statements, etc. as proof of their committment to blah, blah, blah. Yours, Karl SAN FRANICISCO CHRONICLE, March 11, 1998 901 Mission St., San Francisco,CA,94103 (Fax 415-896-1107)(E-MAIL: chronletters@sfgate.com)(http://www.sfgate.com) Coming Out at School Even in the Bay Area, gay teachers are taking a risk Elaine Herscher, Chronicle Staff Writer In Union City, teacher Dave Ellison came out as a gay man, and he got a promotion and was named Teacher of the Year. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ============================================================================== SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, March 11, 1998 Call to add gay titles to school book list Julian Guthrie OF THE EXAMINER STAFF Reaction mixed on race-based reading quota; sex orientation also sought as criteria [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] =============================================================================== Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK OUT OUR INFO-LOADED WEB PAGE AT: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/