Tucson becomes second Arizona city to allow same-sex civil unions
Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis announces engagement
Former gender studies professor on FBI ‘Most Wanted’ list captured in Mexico
Brazil lawmakers OK bill to allow treatment of homosexuality as a disorder
Del. state House approves transgender protections bill
Eldest of ‘19 Kids and Counting’ joins anti-gay hate group FRC
Man pleads not guilty in New York City hate crime shooting
CINCINNATI, Ohio — An openly gay Ohio teen who sued his high school after being threatened with suspension for wearing a t-shirt containing the message “Jesus is not a Homophobe,” will be allowed to wear the shirt to school whenever he chooses.
The clerk’s office for U.S. District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett announced Monday that Maverick Couch, 16, and the Wayne Local School District, have agreed to allowed Maverick to wear the t-shirt without restriction.
Maverick Couch
The agreement also specifies that the school district must pay $20,000 in damages and court costs.
The suit stems from an April 2011 incident at Waynesville High School, when Maverick wore a t-shirt with a rainbow Ichthys, or “sign of the fish,” and a slogan that says “Jesus Is Not a Homophobe” in observation of the National Day of Silence.
According to the suit, principal Randy Gebhardt called Maverick into his office and instructed him to turn the T-shirt inside out; Maverick complied.
But over the summer, Maverick further researched his First Amendment rights, and when school resumed in the fall of 2011, he approached the school principal seeking permission to wear the T-shirt. Gebhardt restated that he would be suspended if he wore the shirt.
In January 2012, Lambda Legal contacted Gebhardt, and outlined the legal precedent supporting Maverick’s right to wear the shirt, to which the school district issued this response:
“…the message communicated by the student’s T-shirt is sexual in nature and therefore indecent and inappropriate in a school setting.”
On April 3, 2012, Lambda Legal filed suit, arguing that the school district violated Maverick’s First Amendment rights, and asked the Court to issue a temporary restraining order allowing Maverick to wear the T-shirt while the Court resolved the case.
Rather than oppose the request for a restraining order, the school district agreed to allow Maverick to wear the T-shirt for only one day, on April 20, 2012 while the case proceeds.
Couch said the shirt is a statement of pride and he hopes other students now know they can feel pride, too.
The school district did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment.
Filed under: Ohio
Looking back 50 years: Huge strides for the gay rights movement
Rubio: ‘I’m done’ with immigration bill if gay couples are included
Marco Rubio: No ‘special’ rights for gay Americans — but I’m not ‘a bigot’
‘America’s Got Talent’ contestant disowned by family because he is gay
Christian college expels lesbian, wants her to repay grant money
Mugabe vows to strengthen penalties against gays: ‘They should rot in jail’
Lesbian may be forced to testify against spouse in Ky. murder case
Southern Baptists officially oppose Boy Scouts’ policy to accept gay youth
Russia to ban adoption by same-sex couples
E.W. Jackson: Using my past anti-gay statements against me is ‘persecution’
At LGBT Pride reception, Obama urges ban on workplace bias against gays
‘M’ or ‘F’? Outdated IDs worry transgender people
Idaho GOP leaders urge lawmakers to erase local LGBT protections
yea because he knows the person may not know what they do/
Isn’t this covered under the rights of the 1st Admendment?
…why wouldn’t he be able to wear that…?
Schools love banning anything they don’t like. I have one that compares my school to a prison and they banned it. :(
School indicated it was “sexual” in nature when they banned it. Seriously, educators need to educate themselves.
a t-shirt with two pigs going at it with the caption “makin bacon” now that if worn should be banned.
We teach our youth about Democracy by subjecting them to Hypocritical Dictatorships during their learning years and then wonder why they become so intolerant as adults. People need to be concerned with THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR and leave ALL others to do the same!
exactly^
Schools, Churches and work places, better wake up. WE ARE HERE TO STAY
It’s troubling in so many ways, including how did a principal not recognize this as a First Amendment case? In addition, $20,000?!!!! The taxpayers must love that!
As for Macerick, good job! I suspect he’ll have his pick of colleges!
God is a homophobe and he hate us. so stop believing that shit.
You are wrong. God does not hate us. The children of Adam and Eve hate us. Conversally, I find it ironic they do when we all are offspring of a blessed incestious union to populate the earth. So, in my humble opinion, to us is to hate themselves too.
Awesome!
Republicans and conservatives hate us. It is about equal protection of the laws under the US Constitutition. I think conservatives hate the Constitution too, so.
Jesus was not a homophobe, but he was not a big fan of hypocrisy.
Whouldn’t suing a school get you exspelled? Maverick good job on paving the way for others to wear T Shirts exspessing pride in oneself.
Praises to the high courts!!!! :S where can I buy mine??
Furthermore, God has been on record for saying the only thing he hates is a liar and those who benefit from it.
Jesus walked the earth for 33 years and did not utter one…single… word about it.
The Ten Commandments does not list homosexuality as a tenant. Surely, if we were that damned bad and evil, we’d rank a little higher than murder, adultery and stealing. Don’t you think, IC?
I am far from an organized religion fan, but I do not condone nor let anyone get away with ursuping the His word for their own evil purposes. Too much blood has been spilled, too much sorrow wrought and too many lives lost for me to stand still and stay silent.
Do not let the Enemy take away one more thing from you. God is ours. Not theirs.
Cincinnati. Surprise!
I and some friends sued our high school in 1984 to stop prayer at public high school graduation. We won and were not expelled. But that was the 80s.
Upon analyzing recent anti gay sentiment and this article, its apparent to me that they don’t like gays because they don’t understand the true nature of what it is to be gay. They see being gay as something completely sexual. As if it were a perversion. (This is totally evident in the principal’s remarks about the shirt.) But truth is, its who we are programmed to love and who we can find full companionship with. And what I’ve noticed is that when people finally figure it out, they totally reverse their views on what being gay is and what rights they should have. My mother, a super conservative Christian figured it out. If she can, then others like this principal can too. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Just like Ohioans. I know I live here!
Why does something like this shirt need to waste the courts time?? Wtf seriously.. Religious people are getting out of control..
Not only is this protected by the free speech part of the first amendment but it sounds like a religious belief so it would also be covered by the free practice of religion part as well. Everyone keeps looking at it as a free speech issue and the religious super consecutive say their religious rights are being stepped one. There are many people who hold this as part of their religious belief.
I want one!!!
very cool.