Remember my previous post on the perils of neo-segregationism, as evidenced by this high school for gay teens in New York City? I, among others, thought that isolating gay teens in their own high school was unnecessarily divisive, would help perpetuate stereotyping, and wouldn't solve the problem of the bullying attitudes in regular public schools. I also thought it odd that public funds would be used to build a public school from which heterosexual kids would be excluded.
Turns out that one NY Senator, Ruben Diaz, Sr., doesn't like the idea of Harvey Milk High, either, and he's filed a lawsuit to challenge "the legitimacy of the nation’s first 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth” (LGBTQ) public school.":
A few weeks ago, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the City authorized 3.2 million dollars to establish the Harvey Milk School as the first publicly funded LGBTQ school in America. The money diverted to the School was taken from the capital expansion funds, and thus much needed capital expenditures for needy schools have suffered.
About 84% of the children served by the New York School System are racial minorities. Fifty-five percent of 3rd through 8th graders failed the state reading exams, and 65% of 3rd through 7th graders failed the math exams. In some schools, as many as 95% of the students fail basic competence evaluations...
Despite the pitiful status of the education system and the lack of funds, the City took 3.2 million dollars away from these minority student schools and diverted the money to fund a school that discriminates based on sexual preferences where heterosexuals are not welcome.
The lawsuit challenges the validity of the public school.
As well it should.
(Thanks to Devoted Reader Nick, who has more on his blog).
Posted by kswygert at August 15, 2003 09:39 AM