ET: A small group of protesters gathered at McGuffey High School on Monday morning to show their support for the LGBT students.This month, corporations are plastering their social media avatars with rainbows, sponsoring Pride parades, and declaring their unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ community.
McGuffey School District is committed to providing a safe, supportive environment for all children. Our investigation is ongoing, and we encourage anyone with information to contact McGuffey School District administration immediately. Additionally, no statements have included physical harassment. On Thursday, April 16, 2015, allegations of harassment were brought to administration’s attention following the McGuffey High School Gay-Straight Alliance Club’s observance of GLSEN’s “Day of Silence.” Administration and school police officers have been investigating all allegations and continue to do so.Īt this time, no witnesses have seen the rumored “lynch list” that was mentioned in previous news reports. ET: Superintendent Erica Kolat released the following statement to BuzzFeed News on Monday afternoon: "I'm concerned because I don't think it will settle down because it only seems to be getting worse," she said. Speaking on Sunday night, Johnson said she feared returning to school on Monday. "Now everyone is watching, so they have to follow through." "The administrators need the opportunity to investigate this and take what steps are appropriate," she said. "It also makes it crystal clear that despite small improvements in school climate for LGBT youth, there remains a great deal of work to be done by students, educators, and administrators," Betz said.Ĭameron said she knows anti-gay bullying takes place at schools across the country, but that staff need to move quickly to stamp it out. "The board was appalled that the kids had been exposed to this treatment and assured them that they would look into it," Cameron said. "They wanted to make sure that it didn't happen again and that the bullies were taken to task." "The kids were very calm and well prepared," said Cameron, who also attended the meeting. You could tell whose side they were truly on." "Both the superintendent and assistant superintendent shook my hand. "We had a really positive reaction," she said. Johnson and her fellow students spoke on Thursday night at a school board meeting to raise the anti-gay bullying issue with administrators. "The instigators, the bullies, seemed to be very proud of their efforts, and posted many smiling pictures online," Cameron said. "They had a very silent, respectful day of action, and then they came to school on Thursday to an organized backlash," Kathy Cameron, chair of the board of directors of the Washington County Gay Straight Alliance, told BuzzFeed News. Johnson said the event was met with no resistance on Wednesday, but roughly 50 students took part in a counter-protest on Thursday and Friday. "It was a very nice feeling to see that many people participating." "There was about 30 to 50 students," she said.
She told BuzzFeed News she was touched that many non-GSA members also took part. The national Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) organized a "Day of Silence" around the United States on Friday, but Johnson said she and her friends held their protest on Wednesday because of a school field trip scheduled for Friday.Īs part of their protest, Johnson and the other dozen members of the GSA arranged to wear black, paint rainbows on their faces, and stay silent for much of the day. "They were calling us every horrible name you can think of." "I got called a dyke, a faggot," Johnson said.