I guess Karlton O. Johnson, the principal at Pompano Beach, Florida’s Blanche Ely High School, hasn’t heard of something called LGBT youth homelessness. Either that or he just doesn’t care.
Imagine this. You’re a high school student, holding hands with your significant other. The principal literally rolls up in a golf cart and says, “Didn’t I tell you two to stop doing that?” He then takes you both to his office. Then he delivers a scolding speech, threatens suspension, and separates you. Then he calls your parents. Did I mention you’re lesbian, and you haven’t come out to your parents yet? Yeah, your parents just found out you’re a lesbian via a phone call from the principal.
This is exactly what reportedly happened at Blanche Ely High School. An interracial lesbian couple was approached by Karlton O. Johnson on a golf cart (I can’t get over the golf cart – it adds to the absurdity of the situation) by the principal. The two students, one of whom was not out to her parents, were rounded up for the crime of holding hands, and their parents were called. While it may be the case that they were previously warned, does the punishment – being outed and potentially exposed to years, if not a lifetime, of anguish at home – really fit the “crime” (as absurd as it is to label hand-holding a “crime”)? How can you tell a child that “it gets better” when the adult isn’t the adult, but rather the bully?
I don’t know how the outed student’s parents reacted. That’s completely beside the point. This student, for whatever reason, was not ready to tell her parents. Karlton O. Johnson, a man in a position of power and authority over students, used that position of power and authority to out the student anyway. Many questions come to mind. Did he not realize the dangers associated with calling up a set of parents he likely doesn’t know and outing a student over something as petty as hand-holding? Did he even give a thought to the potential ramifications for this student? If so, did he just not care? Has he heard of LGBT youth homelessness? Does he know the statistics? Has he heard of suicide?
The more I think about this story, the more my mind is boggled. I can’t fathom the recklessness and disregard for the safety of children that this principal has shown if the students’ claims are accurate.
Apparently, the Blanche Ely High School has a blanket policy against hand-holding and kissing that applies to everybody. Also, according to the school district, it’s completely up to the school whether or not to have this kind of policy. But I have to admit, the skeptic in me has a very difficult time believing all students honor this policy. I find it even more difficult to believe that it’s enforced across-the-board – it wasn’t that long ago that I was in high school, and we had a PDA policy, but it was rarely, if ever, enforced. I find it even more difficult to believe that the principal randomly rolls up in a fucking golf cart, hauls straight offenders to his office, and calls their parents.
As Kris Drumm, Family Youth and Family for Social Service Inc.’s director, puts it:
I think that it’s a homophobic reaction from the principal because clearly they are not suspending boys and girls for holding hands, only gays. We are talking about holding hands here, not kissing or some other activity. It’s irresponsible because these kids are literally being put in danger. I see it all the time. The parents are not prepared to hear this information and the youths end up abused or homeless after being thrown out of the house. This is serious.
The Broward County School District is conducting an investigation of the students’ claims. Michael Emanuel Rajner, who sits on the school district’s diversity committee, has called the principal’s alleged actions “reprehensible” and “horrendous.” I guess we’ll see what comes of the investigation.
Broward County’s chapter of the ACLU, for its part, has offered to take action if the students are suspended or disciplined in any way.
So much is disturbing about this story. Whether or not Johnson realizes it, this is serious stuff he’s playing around with like it’s nothing. In many homes, it’s not just not okay to be openly gay – it’s dangerous. I only hope this outed student has found a warm acceptance at home.