FRANKLIN COUNTY, TN – Liberty Counsel advised the Franklin County School Board regarding a student club policy which was adopted on Monday, April 11. This policy requires parental permission for all school clubs, sign-in sheets for nonschool attendees, and accurate recordkeeping. If any club's content endangers students or creates a substantial risk of material disruption of the schools, then the club may be subject to sanctions, including disbandment.
The board contacted Liberty Counsel after they received pressure from homosexual activists to allow a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) on campus without oversight. The board's then-current student club policy was inadequate to provide the necessary supervision for this group that promotes homosexuality and gender confusion. As a result, Liberty Counsel helped draft a strong policy with commonsense regulations that have been upheld by the federal courts that apply to all school clubs.
"Gay-Straight Alliance is designed to promote homosexual and gender-confusion propaganda in the guise of a children's club. Parents should exercise their rights to direct the education and to protect the well-being of their children," said Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. "This policy provides that minors must receive parental consent to participate in clubs. Franklin County Schools should be commended for respecting the rights of parents to control the associations of their minor children,” said Staver.
Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.