Schools
Here's A Group That LTHS Rejected
A committee accepted a number of club requests. Patch found out which one was not granted.
LA GRANGE, IL – A Lyons Township High School committee recently approved a number of club requests.
But the school did not say whether the panel rejected any requests.
Through a public records request, Patch discovered that one did not pass muster – a mountain biking club.
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A student submitted the request, which was signed by classmates. Their names were redacted from documents because of student privacy laws.
Under the proposal, the club would meet once every two weeks, alternating between classroom sessions and group rides. Rides would last about two hours.
Find out what's happening in La Grangefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The group would need one or two adult sponsors. The student making the proposal hadn't identified a sponsor yet.
The club application asked about costs. The student said it may require the purchase of equipment such as helmets and bikes. The club could hold fundraisers or seek donations, the student said.
The student said rentals of bikes start at $60 a day and that mountain bikes can cost between $500 and $700.
"The club will offer students a fun, relaxed athletic experience," the student wrote. "It will build physical fitness, mental well-being, camaraderie and friendships. Students who want a more non-traditional sport will find themselves at home."
In its records request, Patch asked the school for any written justification for its rejection. The school did not provide one.
Based on the records the high school provided, it appears that the local Turning Point USA group did not apply again for the school's recognition.
For the last two years, Leslie Mendoza, who graduated in May, was unsuccessful in her efforts to persuade the high school to approve Turning Point.
In October, Mendoza spoke to the school board, asking the school to approve the chapter. In rejecting Turning Point, she said, the school showed a bias against conservatives. The school has said it does not approve partisan groups.
The school's stipend committee most recently approved requests from five groups. Acceptance means that groups can use school space for free.
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