<p>^I didn’t say it made sense or that it makes any difference. You asked how they knew and I answered.</p>
<p>I wasn’t attacking you… it was a general statement.</p>
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<p>I think this depends on where you live and how the school board has traditionally handled communications within your community. Not only do some of our school boards choose to list their home numbers publicly, but so does our village board. I have called school board members at home to get clarity on certain issues, and then depending on what I hear, either voice my support or let them know why I disagree with it. Our school board members do not have offices in the school, so how are you supposed to communicate with them? There are times when written correspondence is not sufficient… that you need more immediate conversation that goes back and forth in a discussion. But of course, I think our school board members are aware, when they run in the election, that they are ‘hired’ by the community and are accountable to them, and this sometimes has to be taken care of via phone. Our elementary school district is about 1800 students and our high school district is about 2300; they are each separate districts unto themselves. Chances are, if your kid is in any way involved in any school activities, you know at least one of the school board members. I understand this is much more intimate than many school boards that serve in larger communities, but that’s why I think it’s important to note that different school districts handle communication with school board members differently, and in our school district, it’s not frowned upon to call a school board member.</p>
<p>teriwtt…I truly understand your point. Actually, my husband was on the school board here in a small rural community. He was a member of the board for the elementary school and then the rep from our town for the union district board that covers six towns that share a district (also share a high school). True, someone in our town could call a board member in the community at home. </p>
<p>But I think to publicly post these private numbers on a site like this (this is what this young man on here was doing) is not right. It is a campaign to get those across the country to call a school board member at their home. I feel if a local person wants to call these members at home, that is one thing. Outsiders around the country should mail their responses/outrage to the school board (must be some way to get mail to that school board). I don’t think thousands across the country should contact individual school board members in the privacy of their home. If they are your own elected school board in your own community, that would be different.</p>
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<p>I guess I must have missed that post… skimming too fast through the thread.</p>
<p>Am glad to hear that our school board is not the only ones who accept personal phone calls at home. I was starting to think they were dinosaurs!</p>
<p>The phone numbers that the student posted on this thread have since been removed but there were some responses to that on this thread.</p>
<p>Just thought I’d post an update on this story as a high school in California has invited the young woman and her girlfriend to their prom. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more high schools would invite her to their proms? [Tam</a> High students invite Mississippi lesbian to attend prom - Marin Independent Journal](<a href=“http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14751863]Tam”>http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14751863)</p>
<p>Good “prom” news for another gay teen in Georgia, along with much more serious bad news:</p>
<p>[Gay-rights</a> backers reach out to Bleckley senior - Local & State - Macon.com](<a href=“http://www.macon.com/2010/03/24/1070478/gay-rights-backers-reach-out-to.html]Gay-rights”>http://www.macon.com/2010/03/24/1070478/gay-rights-backers-reach-out-to.html)</p>
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<p>If there’s a hell, parents who kick out their gay children should rot there forever.</p>
<p>A comment from his boyfriend:</p>
<p>[Support</a> builds for gay Ga. teen over prom date — Project Q Atlanta](<a href=“http://www.projectqatlanta.com/news_articles/view/support_builds_for_gay_ga._teen_over_prom_date?gid=5151]Support”>http://www.projectqatlanta.com/news_articles/view/support_builds_for_gay_ga._teen_over_prom_date?gid=5151)</p>
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<p>At least one of them seems to have supportive parents.</p>
<p>@oaklandmom: it was a nice gesture, but I don’t think she’ll be going- if she does it will be alone. She and her girlfriend broke up, and I believe the girlfriend’s parents are suing her for statutory rape.</p>
<p>Statutory rape is a civil offense?</p>
<p>Vince011, where did you hear this? There’s a CNN story with an extensive interview with McMillen, datelined about 90 minutes ago, in which there’s no reference to a breakup or a rape accusation–in fact the article says that McMillen refers to the GF as “a constant support.”</p>
<p>^at school.</p>
<p>Update: This horrible school full of horrible students with horrible parents was ordered by a Federal judge to make their private prom available to all students. Instead, they had a fake prom for McMillen and several learning disabled students and a real prom for all the rest of the students.</p>
<p>[McMillen:</a> I Was Sent to Fake Prom | News | Advocate.com](<a href=“http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/04/05/ACLU_Investigating_Fake_Prom/]McMillen:”>WATCH: 'Reporting Tonight: Thomas Roberts,' First Out Gay Man To Anchor Network News)</p>
<p>I’m imagining the mothers sitting around saying, “While we’re at it, let’s get rid of those ■■■■■■■.” They must not care what the civilized world thinks of them.</p>
<p>The school got the old adage backwards - when you find yourself in a hole, keep digging.</p>
<p>Quote by McMillen from that article:</p>
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<p>This girl has more maturity and more class than that entire town combined, and THEN some. </p>
<p>I can’t wait for that girl to get out of there and never look back at the hate and intolerance she grew up with.</p>
<p>So the principal and teachers attended the fake event as chaperones? Did they know what was really going on? If so, I’m not sure there’s a circle in hell deep enough for them.</p>
<p>I am constantly amazed at the way school districts enforce some policies to the detriment of their students.</p>
<p>It’s either CYA (Cover Your A**) or zero tolerance, combined with big egos that create these stories that the media picks up on and makes us all scratch our heads with wonder.</p>
<p>Unbelievable. Did these morons who coordinated the “fake prom” not realize it would be the next days news? What total fools. I feel so badly for the kids sent to the “fake prom” and hope that the ACLU mops the floor with those people.</p>
<p>I wonder how many times the ACLU has mopped the floors of school districts, and how this impacts their financial bottom line? </p>
<p>I see it often with parents suing a school district over access for their special needs child because they aren’t happy with the accomodations and threaten a lawsuit. It can be a financially devastating problem for a district to deal with, and seems to be occuring with greater frequency.</p>
<p>With a situation like this, it seems like an inevitable lawsuit just waiting to happen, if it hasn’t already been filed.</p>
<p>The ACLU had already sued, when the school prom was cancelled. The school officials said that McMillen would be invited to the private prom. Clearly, she was not, and the parents took their chance to send the special ed kids to the fake prom as well, so that the parents’ precious darlings’ prom would not be marred by anyone who was different.</p>
<p>These people are just awful. They’re unbelievably callous and mean. And this in a town of claimed-to-be “Christians”? Did I miss the part in the Bible where Jesus wouldn’t hang out with lepers, but instead hung out with the popular and well-connected?</p>