Thaindian News

Sep 28 (THANDIAN NEWS) A teenager from Mona Shores plans to fight back after the administrators at their high school refuses to accept the votes of the peers who voted the teen in as Homecoming King. Oakleigh Reed stated that he/she is just as qualified as any other person to run for the position, and should be allowed to be king since the students voted him/her as such.

But the school’s Assistant Superintendent, Toss Geerlings said that the issue was a simple one. “The ballots gave two choices, vote for a boy for king and a girl for queen.” The students did not vote in a boy as king, and thus the school did not count the vote.

The ACLU stepped in, and had this to say, “We are aware of the situation here and it raises issues as to whether this student is being treated differently by the school district because of his gender identity. Gender identity is not a protected category under our state civil rights laws, nor does Muskegon include it in its anti-discrimination policy.

However, discrimination against transgender persons because of gender stereotyping has been found in some cases to be actionable sex or gender discrimination. At any rate, there have been other school districts that have permitted transgender students to serve as Homecoming King or Queen in accordance with the student’s gender identity and expression.

It’s disappointing that the Mona Shores School District has decided to take the opposite approach, particularly where previously it has shown sensitivity towards this student, regarding how he is referred to in school (and his ability to wear a male robe at graduation). We hope the district will reconsider its decision.”