Louisville public schools approves bias protection for gay, lesbian workers
Louisville public schools approves bias protection for gay, lesbian workers By Antoinette Konz
akonz@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
The Jefferson County Board of Education voted late last night to extend employment, discrimination and harassment protection to gay, lesbian and bisexual workers.
The 4-3 vote came after more than two hours of heated comments from about 50 people who supported or opposed the policy change.
While they spoke, supporters in the crowd held up signs reading, “Fairness for All” and “Protect all Workers,” while opponents raised signs that said, “Protect the Children.”
About 400 people attended, and some had to sit in an overflow room because the board room at the Van Hoose Education Center, 3332 Newburg Road, reached its capacity almost an hour before the start. Some arrived in church vans.
The Fairness Campaign of Louisville — as well as several gay, lesbian and transgender employees, students and parents — had asked the board to include both sexual orientation and transgender status in the district’s employment and harassment policies.
Two weeks ago, a board committee recommended that sexual orientation be included in the policies. Committee members decided not to include transgender employees, saying the definition remains too uncertain.
Board members Steve Imhoff, Joe Hardesty, Larry Hujo and Debbie Wesslund voted for the policy change last night.
“I voted for this because it is the right thing to do,” Imhoff said.
Board member Ann Elmore, who was on the committee that recommended the change, said last night that she — changed her mind.
“The policy that exists is a good one, and I don’t think we need to change it,” she said.
Board member Linda Duncan, who earlier had indicated she would vote for the policy, also changed her mind, saying she could “not support something (she feared) would put kids at risk.”
Board member Carol Haddad also voted against it.
Superintendent Sheldon Berman assured the crowd that the decision would not change what goes on inside the classrooms of Jefferson County Public Schools.
“This is about protecting people from discrimination and harassment,” he said.
Public comments to the board were split.
Steve Neal, executive director of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, asked the board “to do what is right” for its employees.
Gretta McQueen, a teacher with Jefferson County Public Schools, told the board that she doesn’t believe anyone should be harassed or discriminated against, but she urged the board to vote against what she called an “unneeded change.”
Parent Stacy Grim also questioned why the policy needed to be changed because the district’s current policy included age, color, creed, disability, marital or parental status, national origin, race, sex, military status or political affiliation.
“Every living person is covered under the current policy,” she said. “Why change that?”
Four Jefferson County Public Schools security officers and four police officers contracted to help provide security were at the meeting to keep order.
Hours before the Board of Education voted, the Fairness Campaign held a news conference to say everyone should be free from discrimination and harassment in the workplace, including people who are gay, lesbian and transgender.
Mike Slaton, organizer of the Fairness Campaign, said that while his organization is happy the school board appears to support adding sexual orientation to its anti-bias policies, transgender employees should be included.
“For more than 15 years, the Fairness Campaign has worked to end discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
The school district already forbid recruitment or employment discrimination because of age, color, creed, disability, marital or parental status, national origin, race, sex, militarystatus or political affiliation. The policy change also protects religious affiliation.
“Employment decisions should be based on performance, not identity, and no person deserves to be harassed,” Slaton said. “The school board is responsible for establishing a culture in our schools and our children learn from culture just as much as they learn from textbooks.”
Reporter Antoinette Konz can be reached at (502) 582-4232.
Reporter Nancy Rodriguez contributed to this story.
