So EXTREMELY tired of narrow minded people!!! - My nephew and his little project.

Crystalina wrote: So, my nephew (16) is and has been his class pres. since (who knows?), years now. He always runs, always gets elected. He's an honor roll student and has been since day one. He never gets in trouble never at all.
Well, he started putting together the National Day of Silence at his school. My sister had all the red shirts made that say "Break the Silence", "Speak Out!", "Nat. Day of Silence". It's all about bullying and students who won't put up with it basically. This school district had NEVER done this before. Yesterday Austin was pulled into the office and sat in a chair for 2 hours! The principal and vp were telling him that he will NOT pass the shirts out and if he or anyone else wears the shirts he will "assume" that they are a member of the Crypts and will be suspended!!!!!

Ok, first of all...these kids probably don't know who in the heck the Crypts are. We have no gangs here! I mean there are little punks here and there who claim to be in gangs but not the Crypts. The nearest Crypt is probably 60 miles away in Columbus. The only fighting and violence going on around here is if you look at a guy's girlfriend the wrong way and vise versa. I'm sure you get what I'm trying to say. These are country kids and all we have here is country....which is the problem obviously.

He's out of class for 2 hours with two grown men yelling at him. The principal even told Austin that he is a W.A.S.P. and does not approve of any of this. Austin cannot assemble to do this. (first of all there was not assembling, they were only going to wear shirts!). He was told that all the posters were taken down and thrown away (the kids stayed after school to make those! ) and that he will not be "promoting" gay lifestyle.
What!???? Gay lifestyle? OMG! Austin is the least gay person I know and this organization is not only for gay's that are bullied.
He asked to call his mom (my sis) and he was told that he could not because there was no emergency.

So then he comes home, tells her the stroy and she calls the Superintendent of Schools and this is basically what he says to her...."You have to understand Mrs. **** , this is a very small community and we cannot promote alternative lifestyles. This is something we have to ease the community into and I stand behind the principal and vp."

Can we say Deliverence?

So, my sister is not letting this die. She sent Austin to school with his shirt on and all the other shirts for the kids to wear. She gave Austin her cell and said to call if he was called to the office.
He called.
Last I heard she was putting on HER red shirt and was going to meet him there.

cameragirl21 replied: whoa, hold on a second...crips wear blue, it's the bloods that wear red. Don't ask me how I know but I can assure you I was never involved with gangs.
And it's bandanas, typically that are associated with gangs, not just colored clothing--red for bloods, blue for crips.
A crypt is a mausoleum, it's got nothing to do with gangs.
Your sister should do a bit of research and bring it in to the principal and vp so they can see how ignorant they are and that they don't know what they're talking about.
Maybe that will solve this. Of course, I don't recommend using words like, "see how stupid you are and you don't know what you're talking about" but somehow I think you and your sis will be more diplomatic than me anyway.
ETA--unless there is some new gang in Ohio called crypts who wear red that I am not aware of....
Oh yeah, and good for your sis and your nephew!

stella6979 replied: Wow, I don't even know what to say. I mean, how do "stop the bullying" shirts relate to promoting the gay lifestyle? Makes no sense, as kids get bullied all the time and for many different reasons. Kudos to your Sister though, for sticking to her guns. I think what he's trying to do is great and only wish there were more kids who understood the seriousness of bullying.

A&A'smommy replied: that is RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE KUP!!!!!

A&A'smommy replied:
YOU ARE RIGHT!!!! They are idiots!!!

MommyToAshley replied:
ITA!

How ridiculous.

Let us know what happens.

CantWait replied:

That is sad, real sad. He's trying his damndist to do a good thing and this is what he gets.

Please keep us posted.

Crystalina replied:
See Jennifer, that's how LITTLE we know about gangs here.

I told my sister that they were bullying him because he wanted to stop bullying. I can't believe they kept him out of class for 2 hours!

I will KUP. It was well over an hour ago when she called me (driving too fast ) trying to get to the school. She said she would call as soon as she got out of there. Nothing yet. I hope she kept her cool. I'll be waiting for her one call from jail.

Crystalina replied: Update:
She just got out. Nothing was accomplished. Ausin was already in the office when she got there with the VP and Sup. Of Schools. (they did not know she was coming ). When she aked why her son was missing class again they told her they were trying to come to a compromise with him over the situation. They still do not want that kind of stuff in the school. She then pointed out that the Christian Fellowship meets in that school every week (Austin also attends that) and that that was not something that should be done either because what if someone doesn't agree with that? He told her if people complained he would have to have them meet elsewhere but so far nobody has complained. He said that if he started letting "things like this happen" it could get out of hand. He said it was a "Christian" school.
Really?
Last I remember my sister was not paying tuition for a "Christian" school. It's a public school where I'm sure there are many types of Religion.

He said he went to the website and it talked about Gays. Well, if he dug a bit deeper he would see that it's for people of ALL genders.

She's not done with them.

MommyToAshley replied: I am headed out the door... but I am curious to know what happens. I won't be able to read the update until tonighy. I hope it doesn't involve jail.

stella6979 replied:
So is he still wearing his shirt?

PrairieMom replied: So... this school promotes bullying, and encourages discrimination? Awesome. Sounds like someone should be heading to the school board.

mckayleesmom replied: Have you tried calling the local media???

Crystalina replied:
Yes, he's still wearing it. There are also teachers who are wearing theirs. One of the teachers is a lesbian. Austin knows her outside of school. I doubt the other teachers and principal know of her lifestyle.

stella6979 replied:
Good for him and good for everyone else who decided to keep theirs on.

Crystalina replied:

She is going to the school board and her and Austin are going to write something in the paper. I'm sure it will get swept under the rug but the good thing is that Austin is only 1 of 8. He has 5 brothers and 2 sisters coming in after him. That principal will give out before those kids will.

luvbug00 replied:

It's any bandana, or type of clothing that promently displays that color and each gang has a cirten dress code as to how to diaplay it.
Here we have MS13 and you have to wear the colors in a cirten fashion and if you can display the number 13.
(they banned all non school sports jerseys from our school)

But at the point of the story being told i would go totoally national news with that. it's discusting of the pricepal and board. discusting just so sad.

DVFlyer replied: I checked out that website and I'm not sure I can see where the school official(s) feel it would be promoting a gay lifestyle but it definitely promotes a don't-hate-me-because-of-my-lifestyle-choices type of behavior.

While bullying is mentioned, it appears to me it is geared toward the bullying because of ones sexual orientation or lifestyle choices, not just bullying in general.

Now having said that....

Does the school have a handbook? There should be mention of accepted v.s. not-accepted behavior including colors of clothing etc.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied:
Yep, sounds real "Christian" to me.

BAC'sMom replied:
That's what I was thinking, REAL CHRISTIAN of them!

A&A'smommy replied:
I figured it out anti-LGBT means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender so that would probably be where they are getting the whole "gay" vibe from.

Still thinks its dumb that they think it has anything to do with gangs

My2Beauties replied: Wow...I'd definitely be going to the media