Guidance counselors at 100

percent of Fayette County high schools (except Starr's Mill that declined

to respond to the survey) reported that they were aware of such harassment

in their schools. Dr. Warr, who was principal at Sandy Creek High School,

has been transferred to Fayette County High School. His replacement, Mr.

Roy Rabold, was also in attendance at the event.

The elegant dinner and ceremony

were held at City Cafe in downtown Fayetteville. Restaurant owners Jorg

and Doreen Schate and manager Sandy Suddeth were careful to attend to

every detail to make this a very special event. Sandy Creek High School's

drama and choral boosters club received a check for $25,000 to purchase

a sound system and stage.

Josh, a student at Sandy Creek,

was a freshman when he was regularly harassed because of his sexual orientation.

His situation was the subject of an Atlanta Constitution editorial on

June 22, entitled "Bullying gay teens won't be tolerated."

On March 21, the executive

director of Enlight Atlanta and Josh's parents met with the principal,

assistant principal, and school counselor of the school. Josh told them

about the average of 40 cases of sexual orientation harassment that he

had endured each day of the school year.

Dr. Warr and Mr. Bob Hokkanen,

assistant principal, concluded the meeting by pledging to put an end to

the harassment a promise that was immediately fulfilled. Several students

were given a warning and one strike, in accordance with the state bully

law, enacted In 1999.

The next day, Josh was not

harassed at all. In fact, for six weeks there was no harassment. After

the sixth week, one student (who had received a strike) assaulted him

and was disciplined by the administration. The principal vowed to Josh's

parents that the bully would never return to the school. After a two-week

suspension, the bully was sent to an alternative school.

During the ceremony, the principal

explained how he ended the harassment and Josh's mother spoke about the

pain she endured in learning that her son was being harassed. At the end,

Josh entertained the attendees by singing a song.

Enlight Atlanta is the only

organization entirely devoted to ending bias and harassment based on actual

or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity in Atlanta area K-12

schools.

Steve Epstein

Enlight Atlanta

https://enlight-atlanta.org