Principal Daphne Beasley decided to make a list of student couples to see who was engaging in "public displays of affection." In the process she came across the names of two gay male students, who she outed to their parents. 
A Tennessee high school principal is under fire for "outing" at least two black gay teenagers to parents, faculty staff and students. The incident happened at a college prep on the grounds of one of the nation's historically black colleges--and many HBCUs do not have a good track record with gay students.
Daphne Beasley is the principal of Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in South Memphis, which is located on the campus of HBCU LeMoyne-Owen College. Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a lawsuit and say in September 2007, Principal Beasley went beyond her role as an educator and "sought out couples of all kinds to monitor them for public displays of affection." Pathetic, right?
"She compiled a list of names, which included students Andrew and Nicholas (last names omitted), based on information she received from teachers and students; the list was clearly visible to anyone who visited her office."
Of those that saw this list was Andrew's mother, Andrea. "I couldn't believe it when I went to meet with the principal and that list was right there by her desk where anyone could see it," she said. "African American people face enough obstacles to succeeding in this world and I want my son to have every opportunity he's worked so hard for. Our schools should be helping our children do well, not tearing them down for something like this."
The 11th grader Nicholas had just made the Dean's List and the honors students tells ABC 24 it was "frightening to see a list with my name on it where not just other teachers could see but students as well." ... I really feel that my personal privacy was invaded. I mean, Principal Beasley called my mother and outed me to my mother!"
The honor student underwent further humiliation and "verbal harassment, when taken out of the running for a class trip to New Orleans related to rebuilding efforts, as a risk to the school's image; Nicholas was told that there were fears he'd embarrass the school by engaging in 'inappropriate behavior.' " That shallow and callous behavior lends a new definition to "no child left behind."
Hollis F. Price Middle College High School was charted in 2004 in a collaborative effort with LeMoyne Owen College. Students can earn a high school diploma and two years of college credit. About 150 students are enrolled right now in grades 9 through 12.
Memphis Principal Accused of Outing Gay Students [WREG]
Principal Outs Gay Kids, ACLU Steps In [PageOneQ]
Some Background ....
Homophobia at Hampton? [R20]
"Brother Outsider" Screenings [R20]
Judge Reduces Morehouse Sentence [R20]
Morehouse Anti-Gay Firing [R20]
Black and Gay at Morehouse [Keith Boykin]
A Tale of Two Campuses [Keith Boykin]
Man of Morehouse Part 3[Black Gay Bloger]
Black Museums Should Celebrate Gays[R20]
The (Very Very Gay) Men of Morehouse[R20]
May 1, 2008 7:12 PM
that is so horrible. she deserves to be fired and if those young men deal with ANY bullying or discrimination as a result of this, she needs to be sued.
May 1, 2008 7:18 PM
This story made http://detentionslip.org! It's a leader for crazy headlines in public schools.
May 2, 2008 5:43 AM
The really sad thing here is if the school district were to do the right thing and fire her black ass for putting these two students in physical danger because she found their being gay offensive the whole damn community (black)led by some glory hallelujah screaming black reverend will come to her defense screaming "look how MR. White Man is destroying a black educated woman". Any attempt made in reeducating her amounts to nothing else but another slap in the face to these students. I am sure she has no problem with the little hoodniks walking around with their pants hanging well below their hips.
After seeing the video if I were their parents I would demand a press conference to express outrage. This woman had to know that she was she was going above and beyond her authority. I honestly hope their parents did not just sit there and let an educator, a black eduucator at that, call them up and tell them that they more or less gave birth to (in her unasked for opinion)a mistake.
For those of you who are interested in seeing the students reaction to this foolishness there is a video link to this story included. Just click on the first highlighted area in the first sentence that says Tenn. H.S. principal is under fire. Then look for the story in the video section. The security guards come over and chase away the two black female students who are talking to the reporter who are saying they never saw the boys do anything sexual. The two security guards are black and have to be reminded by the white female reporter that the students being interviewed are on a public street, not on campus.
My many thanks to the white female reporter for showing the ingnorance of these two as well. It is sad when black people get authority and then forget that their religious or personal beliefs have to go on the side in many cases to protect those that they have taken an OATH to educate and protect. This does apply to black gay students as well whether this bitch (the principal)likes it or not and she needs to be shown this in the harshest of terms.
May 2, 2008 11:42 AM
Sadly, as a charter school the Board of Education may have little power over the future of the principal (assuming they had the gumption to exercise any). It will be up to the school's governance group ... and, more importantly, the parents and the public ... to hold her accountable.
May 4, 2008 6:19 PM
Have the principal checked for wires--She might just be a robot or synthetic being...Granted kids get barraged with sexsexsex from a very young age if they have televisions in their homes...Yet and still, affection is something that adults especially repress, leading to mandates and behaviors like the ones associated with this school/story. What ever happened to 'puppy love' and 'school crushes'? WTH do you want the kids to do, shut down completely...or perhaps, opt for a semi-'automatic' way of expressing themselves???
If you've ever been out of the US--say France, you know that young people and adults tend to still be connected to the Lifeforce of the Heartbeat...Hmmmm...Some place like Brazil might just have to be banned from the students' geography classes altogether...Poof! It's gone..and so am I. :)