On the Day of Silence, hundreds of thousands of students take a vow of silence to protest bullying, harrassment and discrimination against their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) classmates. The sad fact is that LGBT students face discrimination and prejudice at school every day. A recent GLSEN survey found that nearly nine out of 10 LGBT students reported being bullied or harassed at school. A third said they'd been physically attacked for being LGBT. Even worse, many are discriminated against by the very educators, principals and adminstrators who are supposed to protect them, as we know all too well from cases like Constance McMillen, Ceara Sturgis and Seth Walsh.
Anti-LGBT discrimination at school is just the latest manefestation of a long history of rogue school districts and adminstrators attempting to overstep their bounds and trample on the rights of students. While most schools and educators respect the constitutional rights of their students, the ACLU has a long history of protecting students when schools overstep their bounds. From Mary Beth Tinker to Savana Redding, we've presented some of those cases below.
Resources for the Day of Silence and LGBT Students
ACLU Advocacy on Behalf of Students' Rights