A teacher at Hill McCloy High School in Montrose, Michigan told a student that she could not write about same-sex marriage for an assignment to write a speech taking a stand on an issue the student cares about. According to media reports, the teacher told the student that the topic could offend someone in class. The student then asked if she could ask her classmates if the topic offended them. The teacher admitted it was they who did not want to read about the topic. The student comes from a family with two married mothers.
The school district investigated after the student complained. While the Montrose Board of Education has allowed the student to change classes and stated that the teacher was wrong to deny the student’s request to write about same-sex marriage, NCAC is disturbed by the lack of respect shown for students’ free expression rights. NCAC has written to the district’s superintendent asking that the teacher make a public apology to the student and the district reaffirm its commitment to free expression by declaring as a matter of policy that all school employees are obligated to protect it.
Read the full letter to the school district below.