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S.I. ROSENBAUMStudents at Newsome High form a Gay-Straight Alliance, but those wanting to join must have written permission.
LITHIA - In a classroom at Newsome High School, thirty-seven students gathered Wednesday to form the school's first Gay-Straight Alliance.
The club is now official - over the protests of parents who were trying to stop it from forming.
But Newsome's Gay-Straight Alliance will have to follow a new rule that doesn't apply to any other club on campus. Each of the students in it have to get their parents' written permission to join.
Principal Rebecca Anderson created the rule after getting phone calls from parents concerned that students would use the club to talk about sexual issues, school spokesman Steve Hegarty said.
Sandy Davis, who was among the parents concerned about the alliance, said she wasn't satisfied with the compromise.
"I'd rather be the person to talk to my children about sexual issues," said Davis, who has two sons at the school.
The compromise rule didn't please groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union either.
Michael Pheneger, chair of the Tampa chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said placing a special restriction on only one club might violate the federal Equal Access Act.
ACLU lawyer Rebecca Steele said the law prohibits schools from restricting clubs on the basis of the speech at meetings.
The requirement might discourage students who most need a place to discuss issues of sexuality and gender, said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida.
Parents opposed to the Gay-Straight Alliance wanted it to meet without official school sponsorship, outside of school hours and off school grounds - which, according to school rules, would mean it would not be a club at all.
--S.I. Rosenbaum can be reached at srosenbaum@sptimes.com or at 813 661-2442.