Jan 24, 2012
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A 15-year-old Wisconsin boy who wrote an op-ed opposing gay adoptions was censored, threatened with suspension and called ignorant by the superintendent of the Shawano School District, according to an attorney representing the child.
Mathew Staver, the founder of the Liberty Counsel, sent a letter to Superintendent Todd Carlson demanding an apology for “Its unconstitutional and irrational censorship and humiliation” of Brandon Wegner.
Wegner, a student at Shawano High School, was asked to write an op-ed for the school newspaper about whether gays should be allowed to adopt. Wegner, who is a Christian, wrote in opposition. Another student wrote in favor of allowing gays to adopt.
Wegner used Bible passages to defend his argument, including Scripture that called homosexuality a sin.
You can read Wegner’s editorial by clicking here.
After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained.
The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.”
“Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.”
But Staver said what the school system did next was absolutely outrageous. He said the 15-year-old was ordered to the superintendent’s office where he was subjected to hours of meetings and was accused of violating the school’s bullying policy.
“The superintendent called him ignorant and said he had the power to suspend him,” Staver said. “He’s using his position to bully this student. This is absolutely the epitome of intolerance.”
Staver said the boy’s parents were never notified.
At one point, Staver said the superintendent gave him a chance to say he regretted writing the column.
“When Mr. Wegner stated that he did not regret writing it, and that he stood behind his beliefs, Superintendent Carlson told him that he ‘had got to be one of the most ignorant kids to try to argue with him about this topic,’” Staver said.
At that point, Staver said the superintendent told the boy that “we have the power to suspend you if we want to.”
The superintendent allegedly told Wegner that he was personally offended by Wegner’s column.
FOX News & Commentary offered Carlson a chance to address the allegations. He refused to submit to questions, but did say he would send a statement. That statement never arrived.
Staver said Wegner was not trying to cause problems or pick a fight.
“He was asked to write an article in the newspaper overseen by a faculty adviser,” he said, suspecting the superintendent was specifically outraged over the Bible verses Wegner had used.
“The superintendent wants everyone to accept homosexuality as normative and homosexual adoption as something that should be standard practices,” Staver said. “In doing so, he’s belittling the views and the biblical views of many people across this country. He is playing a zero-sum game. He’s not interested in dialogue. He wants to cram his view down the throat of everyone else and will not tolerate an opposing viewpoint.”
Staver said an apology from the superintendent may not suffice – and they may consider taking legal action.
“It was a very intimidating situation for this 15-year-old boy,” he said.”It was uncalled for. He crossed the line. It’s absolutely outrageous and he needs to apologize for his actions.”
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If I had been one of his parents, I think I would have gone down to the school and invited this idiot to meet me outside.
Wow.. the amount of ridiculous Christian bigotry on this page is disgusting, yet not surprising. The entire article that was written by the student is completely fallacious in every sense, but that's another issue. If the student had written about how, for example, blacks should not be allowed to adopt, which actually was a law at one point, the reaction would be even worse. Simply because a 2000 year old book, that people for some reason think is magical, decrees that homosexuality is wrong, people think they have the authority and right to be bigots. The article absolutely should've been pulled simply for the hateful message of it, at least in a public high school news paper. And to the people defending his article, LOL AT YOU. This nation is NOT.. NOT a Christian nation. Where do people get this nonsense from? It never was and never has been. In 30 years, if you actually pay attention to statistics, non-religious will make up the majority of people here.
Thanks Chase, another intelligent and kind person out there. You made so many good points. It makes me very sad, that so many people are full of hatred for something that they refuse to understand. Then they use the bible or christianity as a crutch. I have a sneaky suspision that many of these people are not even practicing christians and haven't read the bible, which is terribly outdated.
Terri McCarthy Wow.. you are the only person I have seen on this entire article who actually makes any sense and can think logically. I appreciate people like you a lot and it makes me realize that not everyone in America thinks like the people who have commented on here.
The Christian parents of this boy should put in a complaint saying that the article for gay adoption was highly offensive and then demand a written apology in the next publication about that stance. Guarrenteed it wont happen though.
The difference; the boy sited hatred and condemnation, the girl did not.
It's a good thing God chose not to bless me with children. If a superintendent had talked to one of my kids that way, I'd probably give him a taste of my knuckles. I'm not saying that's the Christian thing to do, but it would be my first instinct.
Okay, I probably wouldn't have actually hit the superintendent, but it would have taken a lot of self-restraint on my part.
Absolutely outrageous! So if the superintendent had bullied (which right there he had already messed up himself) the young man in to recanting his beliefs, the boy would have been fine with the superintendent and the school. So in essence the superintendent bullied, and tried to force his own personal convictions and beliefs on a student. Now do you suppose there will be any repercussions towards the superintendent? I think not as Christians are very rapidly losing their freedom of choice, beliefs, and faith in Christ without having to suffer persecution for it.
It has long been my contention that the gay rights movement was less about rights and more about forced legitimacy.
The superintendent should lose his job and the school and sadly the school district must pay at least a couple million dollars to the young man who was abused by the school official. This was a violation of at least three constitutional rights we are suppose to have. This school and those state officials need to be taught the importance of freedom and what the penalties will be when someone thinks that can take them away.
This is called liberalism, and it claims to be open minded and fair. This is true, it is open minded and fair, just as long as you agree with them. I have never heard of a person in such a position of power going after a student like this. This is fascism in it's core, silence any opposing view point. Take away dissenting points of view. Liberalism is evil, never doubt this.
Just one more example of those lunatics on the [far] left, working overtime to normalize the abnormal. "Liberalism is a mental disorder!"
If the verses quoted were from Quran or Hadith, would that make a difference? There are surely some verses in the Quran or Hadith that oppose homosexuality (one also says about killing gays).
this is just more proof that liberals think freedom of speech only applies if you toe the liberal line.
Otherwise they think you need to be punished. If you ask me, the school district and the gay couple are the bullies.
The thing you failed to mention was that this poor persecuted kid called gays perverts and calls for their execution. I don't really think the superintendent was the bully here and, if you'd bothered to read the "op-ed" before you wrote this nifty bit of libel, you wouldn't either.
Thank-you Johan, a kind voice of reason!
If Wegner used the scriptures out of the Bible to enforce his opionion then he was spot on. Romans 1 has a whole chapter on homosexuality and how those that agree with it or simpathise with those is the same as..But for gays to adopt I'm like Mr.Wegner on this one, if you take a small child and they see what goes on in the home ( which you know that they do) it's sending the wrong message that goes against everthing that God has taught us that is moral and just. It confuses the kids and makes them believe a lie. It brain washes them to say it's okey my dad and his boyfriend do it so why can't I? You cannot leave God out of this or His truths, God don't lie. We're to love one and hate the other or despise one and cling to the other. There's no middle on this issue. People is who God died for, not the ungodliness of the way they choose to live their lives. But please leave the kids out of such an ugly life style.
Darlene, that reply was as ignorant as the grammar you used in writting it.
sorry Joseph but it was all true.
sorry Joseph but it was all true.
@Darlene Coffman – So you're telling me you would rather children be wards of the state, grow up in foster care, bounce from home to home than be in a stable family with two loving parents just because the parents are homosexual? Homosexual couples can be JUST as good of parents as heterosexual. Sexual orientation does NOT make you a good or bad parent. What about all the heterosexual parents who beat, rape, maim or kill their children? What confuses a child? Nothing. Have you ever talked to a child who has homosexual parents? It's not an "ugly lifestyle." People like you really disgust me.
It's ok to be disgusted with what I have t say, but the fact is it's still the truth. We all agree that the first thing that children need is love from godly parents(man/woman not man/man or woman/woman)they also need security but God did not design an Adam and Steve in the garden of Eden , He made a man called Adam and his mate which He took out of Adams rib to make a woman and He told them to populate the earth. But to live in a home were a man and woman are not there together to love and nurture the child is really the down fall of our human race. And if you don't think that having no mom or dad in a home with parents of the same sex isn't confusing your kidding yourself expecially the little ones because they practice what they see and what they see, they believe is right because they trust the grown ups who take care of them. So I'm sorry if my words bother you but God's Word don't lie
Darlene Coffman To you it's "truth" but it's not truth. No I don't agree that kids need love from "godly" parents. What does that even mean? Everyone has a different definition of "godly." I want kids to just have parents or people who love them. You know there is no such thing as a "traditional" family anymore. So what do you think about kids who are raised by grandparents? Or aunts/uncles? Or siblings?
Oh cut the "Adam and Steve" crap. I do not believe in creationism. No one knows how exactly we came to be but it took millions of years if not billions. There used to be other types of humans (neanderthals, etc) and the kind we are (homo erectus) survived and evolved to adapt while the other humans didn't – or they were killed off. If god hated homosexuals and thought they were an "abomination" he wouldn't permit them to exist. Right? According to your views.
Well excuse me but my dad was basically a single father and he raised five children while working two jobs. We all turned out just fine. I didn't have a mother and I'm fine. I have a stepmother NOW who is like a mother but I'm fine.
Are you out of your mind? You think that's how people are homosexual? Okay riddle me this: I have a homosexual brother. We grew up in a small midwestern town where it was not okay to be homosexual. He hid it until he graduated and moved away but we never met homosexuals, had heterosexual parents, never saw that on TV, etc. So tell me where did he "learn" it? No one can answer this because OH he was BORN like that. Why would someone CHOOSE to live a life where they are hated and belittled if they had a choice? No one wakes up one day "oh shit I'll be gay today." It doesn't work like that. There are studies to show it's biological. Also, did you "choose" to be heterosexual? If so what made you choose that? To keep on that, if you had a choice of being gay or straight, that means you have homosexual tendencies. I'm not being a smartass – to say there's a "choice" means that straight people have tendencies and for some reason chose to be straight. I just happened to be born heterosexual female. I didn't choose it. Just happens I'm attracted to guys. My brother happens to be homosexual and the other three are heterosexual.
I don't think anyone knows "god's word." I think ALL religions are a lie. Religions are created by MAN. Jesus never intended for his religion to go this way, nor did the prophets of any other religion.
Homosexuals do not produce homosexual children. Please explain how that would work when homosexuals pretty much all have heterosexual parents. Your "logic" makes no sense I'm sorry. Homosexual parents can and DO raise wonderful children and don't "make" them homosexual.
Oh brother, I would hate to be in your shoes when the day comes that you come in front of God on judgement day. Are you ever going to be surprised! You say that you don't believe, then you make a comment about 'Jesus not wanting the religion this way. You need to just read the Bible, before you go any further with what you want to believe. Darlene is right, it's just as plain in the Bible, as can be. A person that believes, does not sit in judgement, God does, that, but the Bible tells us that it is our responsibilities as beleivers to tell others of His love and what He taught.
Sharon Bridgeman I don't know who you are and I don't care what you say. I can't wait to find out what higher power there is because I have a few words for him/her/it. Does it matter to you what happens to me when I die? It doesn't matter to me what happens to you. We each have to deal with it. You're damn right – I don't believe ONE WORD in the bible. It is a crock of shit. But I have read it and understand enough to know the type of person Jesus was and he would be ASHAMED of how the religion started in his name turned out. So do whatever you want, believe what you want. But I don't believe that it's right to now allow homosexual couples to adopt children who NEED a loving, caring, safe home.
Keep fighting the twisted minds that think equality has to mean we believe as they do. That their rights don't exist until our rights to choice in our personal beliefs are gone.
As a Christian my son was to write about evolution which is against what my son believes I brought it forward to the teachers attention that he does not believe in it the teacher responded that they have a right to teach it if he did not do the project he would get and F. I spoke to the superintendant made my complaint I son was offered another assignment. First of all if we do not want to talk about Christians, religion, paryer anything to do with God in schools then projects like this teacher presented for kids to do should also not be allowed.
Why not? That was the assignment. Is it a public school? Then you're not going to hear about creationism and all that jazz. If you want your kid to learn that, send him to a private school or home-school him.
Kelly Calder excuse me I am so sick and tired of people who tell me what I should do maybe all you people should take a chill pill.
Brenda Paras-Beauregard Oh nice one. That wasn't "telling you what to do." It was a suggestion. Maybe pull the chill pill suppository out of your a$$. Or that giant tampon.
Kelly Calder LOL immature we can dish but we cant take. No hard feelings
Brenda Paras-Beauregard Oh I can take it. I just dished it right back to you.
Kelly Calder this is may last comment takes a better person to walk away from people and situations that cause negativity in my life but thank you for the rude the insults love it makes me a stronger person where I do not need to go so low as giving them back.
Kelly Calder I noticed US Army if you have served thank you for serving this great wonderful free county we live in.
Brenda Paras-Beauregard "IF?" I wasn't aware people just randomly put "works for US Army" I usually tell people something if they say "thank you" but I feel you don't really mean it. If you don't agree with me, that's fine. Don't step back because of seeing US Army as my job. But yes it is a great country we live in.
Brenda – I pity your children.
Peter Olsen LOL thats why the teachers from elementary school to high school tell me to write a book on how to raise kids. Take your comment and shove it where the sun dont shine.
The writer's points are exactly what fundamentalist Christians have been saying for years, and seem to be a faithful oration of what he's heard from Christian church, adults, peers and media, but without critical analysis of his own. If it does contain a unique point not already found on countless media sites and blogs, kindly point this out and I'll happily re-read.
His point of view is simple, black-and-white, and an ideal of a perfect Christian world, and is a topic someone is too young and sheltered in life experience thus far can expound on with an opinion on how millions of other adults twice his age should feel and live their lives. It's a topic he may never in his lifetime have to consider for himself, which makes it even more important for him to step outside his circle for genuine research.
It would help him understand the humanity of the issue if he could speak with a few children of gay parents, gay adoptive parents and gay childless couples, to learn that gays are not promiscuous monsters wearing belly shirts in a gay pride parade with an evil agenda to make America gay. He'll learn that gay is not contagious, cannot be recruited and cannot be changed anymore than heterosexuality can be changed. Once he learns that gay simply IS, the fears he's been taught will reveal no basis in fact, giving him the wisdom to understand things he CAN change and devote his passion to those.
In a perfect Christian world, all people would be happy, married, heterosexual, financially stable Christians with children. There would be no premarital sex, rape, incest or pornography. There would be no unwanted, uninsured or unaffordable pregnancies in women already living in poverty. There would no women unfit to emotionally or financially bear and raise children. There would no war, no divorce and no fathers who abandon women and children, never to be seen again. There would be no homosexuals.
But the real world is not black-and-white. The real world is not Ozzie and Harriet. People don't know why they're gay for the same reason people don't know why they're heterosexual; neither orientation woke up one day and chose which gender they're attracted to. If he talks with lifelong gay couples, he may find them loving, faithful and even religious. He'll find that rabid fears of all gay people have no foundation in reality; that gay people live, work, care for aged and ill parents, love their pets, and want the same American Dream that everyone else longs for.
Using only parts of Leviticus to guide his position cannot be taken seriously unless ALL of Leviticus is adhered to, such as stoning children who sass their parents, killing adulterers, and treating women as slaves and cattle.
The gays-are-evil movement is a near-total religious campaign, with no science or actual knowledge of gay people cited to justify the intense fear of gays. Because it is an almost exclusively religious movement, that alone should qualify it as unconstitutional.
Religion was on the wrong side of women's right to vote, divorce, work, become educated, inherit and own property. Religion was on the wrong side of minority civil rights to end slavery, vote, work, own property and become educated. Religion was on the wrong side of biology, sociology, paleontology, astronomy and cosmology. And religion is on the wrong side of preventing gays from enjoying full citizenship as guaranteed by the constitution. Just as with women, minorities and science, religion will someday look back in horror and shame at cruelty unleashed on this group, and all of it solely because of fear-driven isolation and fear of the unknown.
Gay is not natural and they should not be allowed to prey on kids.
I think the word you are looking for is "pedohile", not gay. Less than 1% of all pedophiles are gay.
Jerry Landry – Homosexuals aren't pedophiles. It's not the same thing. Most pedophiles are heterosexual. But nice try.
Kelly Calder You find it acceptable for two from the same sex to raise and influence a child? if a child is raised by gays they will believe being gay is a natural thing and will look at a man and woman relationship as un-natural
Jerry Landry Well being homosexual isn't a choice so for some people it is a natural thing. I mean did you "choose" to be heterosexual? If so why did you "choose" that? And it would mean that you had inclinations toward being homosexual if you chose not to be that. I didn't "choose" to be heterosexual. I just happened to be that way. — Are you insane? No they will not look at a heterosexual relationship and think it is "unnatural" and their parents will teach them that it's not. That is the most insane thing I've ever heard. Go find someone who was raised by homosexual parents and they will tell you. Well I would rather have a homosexual couple who would love and care for that child then a heterosexual couple who would injure, maim, rape or kill that child. Like Caylee Anthony – anyone would have been better for her than her mother. Or all these children who end up missing, are found dead and the parents killed them. Is that what's "better" for the child? Having that heterosexual parents? I find it acceptable for people who are loving, kind, caring to raise a child regardless of sexual orientation. — I wonder what you think about single parents or women who go to a sperm bank to have a child or adopt on their own. I bet you think that's "unnatural" as well.
There is a GAY Hip Hop artist fighting discrimination and bullying and judging. You all should check him out because this topic is getting out of hand. http://www.ripparachie.com
There is a GAY Hip Hop artist fighting discrimination and bullying and judging. You all should check him out because this topic is getting out of hand. http://www.ripparachie.com