Subject: IWG Fayetville letters
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997 23:55:41 -0500 (EST)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 3 congregations, 5 religious
organizations and 37 clergy from 12 faiths and denominations. If you are in 
the general Philadelphia area and represent a congregation or religious 
organization or are clergy, let us know if you want to be added - all faiths 
are welcome. We will also be happy to help start similar organizations in 
other areas.

These letters were sent in response to an alert on the schools list.
For information on the schools list, send the one line message
info schools
to [email-masked].

February 9, 1997

Dr. Bobby New
PO Box 849
Fayetteville, AR 72702

Dear Dr. New:

We were disturbed by reports that two students in your
district, William Wagner a 16-year-old student at
Fayetteville High School, and a 12-year-old girl at
Woodland Junior High School have been regular targets
of abuse by fellow students, and that there has been no
intercession on their behalf by the faculty or
administration of either school.  We hope that you will
investigate these cases and deal with them
appropriately.  Late last year in Wisconsin a young gay
man named Jamie Nabozny received an out-of-court
settlement of $900,000 in school district funds because
the district administration had failed to adequately
protect him from abusive classmates.

We would strongly suggest implementing diversity-
awareness training in your school system with a
concentration on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered people.

					Sincerely,

			Barbara Purdom	Christopher Purdom
			Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

February 9, 1997

John Delap
Principal
Fayetteville High School
East Campus
1001 W. Stone
Fayetteville, AR 72701

Dear Mr. Delap:

We were disturbed by reports that William Wagner, a 16-
year-old student at Fayetteville High School, has been
a regular target of abuse by fellow students because
he is a sexual minority, and that there has been no
intercession on his behalf by the faculty or
administration of the school.  We hope that you will
investigate this case and deal with it appropriately. 
Late last year a young gay man in Wisconsin named Jamie
Nabozny received an out-of-court settlement of 
$900,000 in school district funds because the district
administration had failed to adequately protect him
from abusive classmates.

We would strongly suggest implementing diversity
awareness training in your school with a concentration
on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people.

					Sincerely,

			Barbara Purdom	Christopher Purdom
			Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

-- 

Interfaith Working Group                Religious organizations, congregations
[email-masked]                      and clergy supporting gay rights,
http://www.libertynet.org/~iwg/         reproductive freedom, and the 
215-235-3050                            separation of church and state.