Raise tabled

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County school board members voted unanimously Thursday evening to remove the words "sexual orientation" from proposed revisions to a cultural diversity policy, which pleased at least one opponent of the controversial policy.

Meanwhile, advocates who sought to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students from physical and mental harassment were somewhat disappointed.

"They lost their guts at the last minute," said Stephen Skinner, a lawyer who is president of the Board of Directors for Fairness West Virginia. "It's incredibly disappointing that they would let gay and lesbian kids down."

Board members agreed to Bill Raglin's amendment that stripped sexual orientation and instead offers respect and equal opportunity employment to "any other status" protected by federal, state or local law.

Federal and state law does not offer protection status to people based on sexual orientation. In 2007, however, Charleston City Council added sexual orientation to an anti-discrimination ordinance.

School board attorney Jim Withrow said the "$64,000 question" is what the school board members meant when they added the words "local law" to the policy changes.

Raglin had no intention to adopt the city of Charleston's ordinance with his motion, he said, and even said school board members might want to remove it to avoid confusion.

"Whether they understood it or not, clearly the Charleston human rights ordinance applies," said Skinner, who added that federal hate crimes legislation pending in Congress might make the argument a moot point.

He expects the legislation, which could extend federal protection based on sexual orientation, to pass.

"We don't need to be out here leading the charge on every social issue," Raglin said. He added that all groups should be treated equally.

Other board members said they would deflect any critics who say they caved in to political pressure.

"That's OK," board member Jim Crawford said. "Other people don't bother me."

Board member Pete Thaw said everybody should be treated fairly and nobody should be singled out for special treatment.

"What we got tired of was the total misrepresentation of what the policy is about," said Thaw, who added that the policy changes were solely meant to stop students from being bullied based on their sexual orientation.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual groups need federal and state protection for sexual orientation before school board members can help them, Thaw said.

Raise tabled

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County school board members voted unanimously Thursday evening to remove the words "sexual orientation" from proposed revisions to a cultural diversity policy, which pleased at least one opponent of the controversial policy.

Meanwhile, advocates who sought to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students from physical and mental harassment were somewhat disappointed.

"They lost their guts at the last minute," said Stephen Skinner, a lawyer who is president of the Board of Directors for Fairness West Virginia. "It's incredibly disappointing that they would let gay and lesbian kids down."

Board members agreed to Bill Raglin's amendment that stripped sexual orientation and instead offers respect and equal opportunity employment to "any other status" protected by federal, state or local law.

Federal and state law does not offer protection status to people based on sexual orientation. In 2007, however, Charleston City Council added sexual orientation to an anti-discrimination ordinance.

School board attorney Jim Withrow said the "$64,000 question" is what the school board members meant when they added the words "local law" to the policy changes.

Raglin had no intention to adopt the city of Charleston's ordinance with his motion, he said, and even said school board members might want to remove it to avoid confusion.

"Whether they understood it or not, clearly the Charleston human rights ordinance applies," said Skinner, who added that federal hate crimes legislation pending in Congress might make the argument a moot point.

He expects the legislation, which could extend federal protection based on sexual orientation, to pass.

"We don't need to be out here leading the charge on every social issue," Raglin said. He added that all groups should be treated equally.

Other board members said they would deflect any critics who say they caved in to political pressure.

"That's OK," board member Jim Crawford said. "Other people don't bother me."

Board member Pete Thaw said everybody should be treated fairly and nobody should be singled out for special treatment.

"What we got tired of was the total misrepresentation of what the policy is about," said Thaw, who added that the policy changes were solely meant to stop students from being bullied based on their sexual orientation.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual groups need federal and state protection for sexual orientation before school board members can help them, Thaw said.

"What can we do for them?" he asked. "If they don't have federal and state protection, what are supposed to do? If they want us to give them special treatment, we've got a problem. We want everyone to have a fair shake in Kanawha County Schools and equal protection."

Board member Becky Jordon declined to comment.

Kevin McCoy, president of the West Virginia Family Foundation, said the sexual orientation wording would be an "illegal civil rights entitlement" and its acceptance would lead parents to seek alternative schools for their children.

McCoy was "very pleased" with the outcome. "They basically just reinforced the laws of the state of West Virginia," he said.

In a letter, Jeremiah Dys, president of the Family Policy Council of West Virginia, reiterated that the policy changes would lead to the promotion of homosexuality in schools and equal employment protections for "pedophiles" and "exhibitionist custodians."

Superintendent Ron Duerring flatly denied those assertions, which he called a misrepresentation of the proposed changes.

"Children in our school system should be safe at home, church and school," Duerring said.

In April, Clayton Stover, a 12th-grader at St. Albans High School, asked school board members to consider sexual orientation as part of the diversity policy. Stover wanted gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students to be free of verbal and physical harassment in school.

About four months before Stover spoke, a cadre of teachers and school employees had suggested that sexual orientation become part of the diversity policy, according to Withrow.

"I don't see the problem with adding sexual orientation," Stover said Thursday. "If that means adding 9,000 categories, so be it. ... It's definitely not what we wanted at all."

Reach Davin White at davinwh...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1254.