School board decides against materials on homosexuality

A dozen people spoke out at Spokane Public Schools’ board meeting Wednesday, saying they were concerned and offended by classroom materials on homosexuality and homophobia under consideration by the board of directors.

Though the materials were recommended by one committee of teachers and administrators, a 14-person citizens advisory committee and a group of principals, board members did not vote to adopt the materials. The four school board members present at the meeting uncharacteristically split their vote, after listening to almost two hours of testimony.

“I cannot approve something that condemns one point of view to promote another,” said board member Terrie Beaudreau.

Another board member, Barb Richardson, disagreed. “I see this as another tool to help teachers present a balanced perspective,” she said.

The controversial materials were a 25-minute videotape called “Being Gay: Coming Out in the 21st Century,” and a four-page written companion piece called “Dealing with Homophobia,” to be used in ninth-grade health classes. As with any human growth and development materials, parents have the right to preview materials and excuse their child from class when they are used.

But while some saw the materials as informative and educational, others saw them as propaganda for a homosexual lifestyle.

Scott Stowell, coordinator of science, health and human growth and development for the district, said he had long been searching for appropriate resource materials regarding sexual orientation.

“Students need medically accurate information,” he said. When he came across the video and the accompanying handout, he thought they were balanced and accurate.

“I thought it was a resource that could help,” he said. “It defines different types of homosexuality, and provides fairly good working definitions. There are gay youth in the district, and there are problems with sexual harassment. We’re trying to provide information that will help the whole student body understand.”

Other materials the committee looked at on the same topic were advocacy- or politically oriented, Stowell said.

The Human Growth and Development citizens’ advisory committee, which meets monthly during the school year to review materials, returned a 9-3 vote on the videotape.

Hershel Zellman, who has been on the committee four years and voted in favor of the materials, said the group hasn’t reviewed many video materials about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

“We were anxious to view the material and provide information to students about being gay in a society that is predominantly not gay,” Zellman said.

“We thought it important to show what it’s like on that side of the fence to help improve understanding and help make life more pleasant and safer for students.”

“Also, we look for information that can foster discussions among students,” Zellman added.

David DeWolf, who’s been on the committee for about nine years and voted against the materials, had a problem with the lack of viewpoints in the video.

“It doesn’t reflect the views of those who believe homosexual behavior is not intrinsically normal,” he said. “Not everything taught in school is everyone’s cup of tea, so there’s a need to represent all views possible.”

The written piece “stigmatized people who don’t agree with the author as having some sort of problem,” he said. “I bristle at that.”

For Zellman, it was a “wonderful piece that could be used to reduce the risk of harassment.”

After the board’s 2-2 vote, Superintendent Brian Benzel urged administrators to continue searching for materials that address similar issues.