[HeartStrongList] Girl Power & standing for what is right

[heartstrong at heartstrong.org]

A year or so ago, HeartStrong launched a letter writing campaign to
California Lutheran High School in Wildomar, CA.  (Wildomar is located
just inland from Laguna Beach and just north of Temecula.)

The Christian school had expelled two girls for an alleged lesbian
relationship. (A perfect example of what we talk about all the time,
religious schools expelling students based on suspicion of being GLBT.)

The girls took their former school to court, saying they were
discriminated against for being suspected of being lesbian.

That is when many of you submitted letters to the school through the
HeartStrong website.

As a general point, religious schools in the US and pretty much every
other country (except Canada) have the right to do whatever they want to
any student or employee as long as they have a religious reason to back up
their actions.

As we always say, "having the right to do something, doesn't necessarily
make it right to do."

This was one of the first lawsuits against religious schools every in the
history of the US.  It was never so important that they girls win the
lawsuit as it was to raise public awareness in a big way about what is
allowed to happen in this particular school.

At HeartStrong, we were extremely proud of the courage these young women
had to stand up for themselves in the face of overwhelming odds for
fairness.

Initially, the lawsuit was allowed to go forward but recently a Riverside
County judge said that there was no legal basis for the lawsuit.  Again,
the school has the right to enact faith-based anti-GLBT bullying because
it has religious reasons for doing so.

This failed case will probably set a precedent for other students and some
of their families who will attempt to sue their religious educational
institutions for similar offenses.

We are reprinting some of a recent article about this incident below. 
Note the language used by the school principal and the school's lawyer.

It really doesn't matter to us that the girls didn't win this lawsuit. 
They did the right thing and stood up for themselves and raised awareness
about a social issue that is rarely discussed.  The bravery of these girls
is rare.

It is our hope that their willingness to do the right thing will result in
empowering other students to find within themselves the same bravery to
stand up for themselves.  Perhaps in standing for themselves, they may be
able to shine a light on a desperate situation which may deter naive
parents from enrolling their children in religious schools where they will
be taught to hate themselves if they are GLBT or hate others who are GLBT.

Perhaps these two girls might one day meet someone they empowered because
of their own bravery.


ARTICLE BELOW...


RIVERSIDE, Calif. — In what could eventually become a statewide precedent,
a Riverside County judge has found no legal basis for a lawsuit brought on
behalf of two girls kicked out of a Christian school for an alleged
lesbian relationship, it was reported Saturday.

Judge Gloria Trask found the girls’ discrimination lawsuit had no legal
basis under California’s anti-discrimination laws.

Attorneys for the two unnamed girls said California’s laws prohibit
discrimination based on sexual orientation in business settings. But the
judge did not agree.

The lawyer for California Lutheran High School in Wildomar applauded the
decision, and said the religious school has a right to expel sinners, the
Riverside Press-Enterprise said.

“You can’t infringe upon the basic rights of a religious group and their
right of association by forcing them to accept people who don’t believe in
their values,” attorney John McKay told the paper.

The school’s principal, Steve Rosenbaum, said he was pleased with the
ruling. “We are confidant that things will continue to proceed according
to the Lord’s plan.,” he told the paper.

Attorneys for the girls could not be reached for comment, but McKay said
he expects them to appeal the decision to an appellate court.

Under the California constitution, the ruling in Superior Court does not
settle the same issue in other courtrooms, but an appeals court ruling
would apply across the appellate court’s jurisdiction area and would
influence cases all across the state."

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