St. Charles Schools Administration Foresees Talks in Wake of 'Straight Pride' Incident

An ongoing, if yet undefined, discussion among students and D303 administrators is planned in the wake of the controversy over shirts worn by North High School students referencing "" in November.

Several students a St. Charles school board Monday night that they were concerned about the districts policies toward bullying and said a review of them was needed.

More than a dozen current and former St. Charles students attended the Dec. 13 D303 school board meeting, helping fill out a standing-room only administration building meeting room.

Those who spoke referenced the incidents in where several students wore shirts—in some cases with the words "Straight Pride" and an Old Testament verse referencing homosexuals be put to death—and what they said was a need for a review of harassment policies.

District Superintendent Donald Schlomann said administrators plan to talk with students about in the wake of the incident and that a discussion of the issues involved will lead to better understanding.

"These are difficult questions for people to understand," Schlomann said. He said the students would set the agenda for how the talks would go.

Two students involved in the organizing the anti-bullying initiative called Ally Week, during which the "" incidents took place, spoke Monday night. Each asked for the district to review its policies toward bullying.

junior Montana Zaccagnini encouraged the use of training programs, designed to diminish bullying or harassment, be developed by the district.

"It is also in my hopes to request that the board also not just be there to influence an "it gets better" message in our schools, but be the guide for students now and students after me to know that it is better and an incident like this of violating the safety of some students will not happen again without some sort of disciplinary action," Zaccagnini said.

North senior Amanda Harshbarger, another organizer of Ally Week activities, also spoke.

"Ally Week allowed a way for students to reflect upon the issue of bullying in our school," she said, addressing the school board. "However, anti-bullying efforts should not occur for just one week every year."

Harshbarger said St. Charles students want to work on an effort to curb harassment and asked for the cooperation of teachers and the administration. She also called for policies that "better define" what constitutes bullying and what disciplinary actions would result.

During the week of Nov. 9, three students who wore shirts that included the Old Testament quote were spoken with by school and district administrators but were not suspended and did not receive any apparent disciplinary action.