Arkansas student wins fight with school officials.An Arkansas student who was forced to read Bible passages and listen to religious preaching from school officials after they learned that he is gay has won a legal battle with his school district. A lawsuit brought by the ACLU ACLU: see American Civil Liberties Union. on behalf of a junior high school student Thomas McLaughlin was settled when the Pulaski County Special School District Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) is one of three public school districts in Pulaski County, Arkansas; the others are the Little Rock School District and the North Little Rock School District. agreed to pay his family $25,000 in legal fees, clear his disciplinary record and implement policies intended to ensure fair treatment of gay students. McLaughlin, 14, said teachers at his school in suburban Little Rock had punished him for discussing his sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. and compelled him to read scripture and listen to biblical admonitions against homosexuality. McLaughlin also said that school officials revealed his sexual orientation to his parents. The district said it would forbid for·bid tr.v. for·bade or for·bad , for·bid·den or for·bid, for·bid·ding, for·bids 1. To command (someone) not to do something: I forbid you to go. 2. personnel to proselytize pros·e·ly·tize v. pros·e·ly·tized, pros·e·ly·tiz·ing, pros·e·ly·tiz·es v.intr. 1. To induce someone to convert to one's own religious faith. 2. or to punish students on the basis of sexual orientation. The settlement also requires school officials to refrain from disclosing any student's sexual orientation. |
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