News

Jan 24, 2012

Officials of a Wisconsin school have censored a student's editorial column printed in the city paper and "sincerely" apologized for his words in support of natural mother-father adoptions.

Both sides of the adoption issue were presented in separate articles, each written by students. But Shawano High School officials pulled the article written by a 15-year-old student who used scripture to support his argument. He wrote: "If one is a practicing Christian, Jesus states in the Bible that homosexuality is [a] detestable act and sin, which makes adopting wrong for homosexuals because you would be raising the child in a sin-filled environment."

The superintendent apologized, calling the editorial a form of bullying. But Steve Crampton of the Liberty Counsel thinks the school's action is reprehensible.

Steve Crampton (Liberty Counsel)"What you really have, the upshot here, of course, is some opinions are more valuable than others," he summarizes. "In fact, the school goes so far as to say that those who express traditional values and Christian viewpoints are not entitled even to the freedom of expression anymore, apparently."

According to Crampton, the school caved after it received a complaint from one homosexual in the community. And in a public statement, the superintendent claimed the censored article created a "negative environment."

"To give in to an overly-sensitive homosexual is not to set up the kind of rational and civil debate that I think the school was trying to do in the first place," the attorney contends. "What you're doing is setting a horrific example that he who screams loudest will get what he wants."


So the Liberty Counsel vice president of legal affairs concludes that the school should apologize for its shameful censorship -- not for the student's article.