Utah School Outs Student to Parents

A Utah County middle school’s decision to out a gay student to his parents has sparked criticism from advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youths.

Alpine School District has received emails and phone calls from many in the LGBT community nationwide since a Facebook page was created to protest the incident at Willowcreek Middle School in Lehi, said district spokeswoman Rhonda Bromley. But Bromley said much of the criticism is a response to false claims made on the Facebook page, including that the student was suspended for being open about his sexual orientation at school.

Parents were notified that their 14-year-old son is gay, she said, because the school was being “proactive” in preventing bullying. The student was not disciplined at school, she said, but his parents, who have asked that their names not be released to media, have decided to keep him home until attention surrounding the issue dies down. The student plans to return to school after winter break.  Read More