Brandon Wegner and the School Newspaper

Brandon Wegner wrote an opinion piece for his public school's newspaper which was against same gender couples adopting children.  He was asked to write it and he did.  Brandon Wegner is a Christian.  He used scripture to explain his viewpoint.  If references to scripture were not wanted, that should have been made clear when he was initially asked to write the piece.  A member of the faculty serves as advisor to the school newspaper.  The faculty member could have forbidden the piece to be published, or at the very least consulted with his or her supervisor if there was any question.



A same gender couple with a child who attends the school called the principal to complain.  They were given an apology.  The apology referenced the words "bullying" and "disrespect."


Superintendent Carlson then confronted Brandon Wegner directly.  The superintendent threatened to expel him.


These are some of the facts of the case as reported by Fox News-- and only by Fox News.


radical sapphoq says:
Brandon Wegner was asked to write an argument against same gendered couples adopting kids.  He did so.  That I or anyone else agrees or disagrees with his stance is not the issue.


His opinion was published in the school newspaper.  There is no mention of the faculty advisor trying to censor or otherwise change the words that Brandon Wegner wrote.


A same gendered couple whose child attends the school was offended.  That is the risk that one takes when freedom of speech is allowed to take place, albeit even the limited freedom of speech that is permitted to high school students in the interest of maintaining order in a public school setting.  An apology was issued.  I don't know the reasoning behind the decision to give the couple an apology.  
The apology referenced "bullying" and "disrespect."  I read nothing in Brandon Wegner's article that hinted at either.  Brandon Wegner did not write "All same gendered couples should be shot/ forced to live in gay ghettos/ denied all freedoms..." or anything like that.  He also did not write "Same gendered couples are ignorant and stupid/ smell badly/ suck..." or anything like that.


The Superintendent was wrong in his actions in my opinion.  There is no indication in the report that Brandon Wegner had been asked to keep his beliefs out of his writing.  There is also no evidence of Brandon Wegner making a ruckus or otherwise acting in a way that indicated that he hated the child of the same gendered couple or intending to do anything like firebomb the child's parents' car or litter his school's football field with Chick Tracts referencing homosexuality as against the beliefs of Christians who take the Bible literally.  If Brandon Wegner had threatened violence or acted in a violent manner, then suspension or expulsion would have been warranted.  


All reports I found on the internet listed their source as being Fox News.  This sort of thing should have been reported by many other news teams who could have sent out their own reporters to cover the story.


This story is about one student who wrote an opinion that he was asked to write.  The school newspaper published the opinion.  Sorry, but I don't see how Brandon Wegner could be judged as being wrong for doing as he was asked to do.


I don't know what the beliefs of the principal, faculty advisor, or superintendent are in respect to same gender partners adopting a child and I don't care.  What happened to Brandon Wegner was wrong.  The superintendent, based on the reports that I read, had no reason to threaten Brandon Wegner with suspension.



Disclosure:  I have been involved with g.l.b.t.i.q. issues for a number of years. 



http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/atty-says-school-threatened-punished-boy-who-opposed-gay-adoption.html
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/assets/pdf/U0183892114.PDF