Is Andy Melin a step in the right direction?

I was pushed down the stairs of Valparaiso High School and called a dyke in the 1990’s mainly because I had short hair and many of my friends were lesbians. Now, almost 13 years later, I am afraid other students will experience the same difficulties now that Andy Melin is the superintendent.

Back in 2007, a Woodlan High School student, Megan Chase, wrote an article advocating tolerance of gays and lesbians. The principle, Edwin Yoder, responded by issuing a written insubordination warning to the teacher, Amy Sorrell, in charge of the high school newspaper demanding that all future issues be reviewed by him. Andy Melin, the assistant superintendent at the time stated ,“It’s not the topic of the article,” Melin said. “It’s the content of the article in terms of its level of its appropriateness and its balance. You have seventh- and eighth-graders who are far less mature than 11th- and 12th-graders.”
What is the balance that Melin is referring to? I sincerely hope that Melin does not believe balance includes intolerance...Sorrel was suspended for two months after allowing an op-ed piece to run that advocates tolerance of gays and the school had moved on.

As a student that has attended VHS in the late 1990's, I sincerely hope that Melin does not reverse the strides that Valparaiso High School has made in regards to gay rights and, instead, embraces the progressive attitude of the Valparaiso community.


Here is a timeline of events:
February 28, 2007 - "Principal Edwin Yoder contacted the newspaper and adviser through a letter that said he must review all issues prior to printing, according to Assistant Superintendent Andy Melin." (http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1452)

March 14, 2007 - "Students have stopped publishing their high school student newspaper in protest of a proposed school district policy that would name the school principal "publisher" of the publication and cement his ability to invoke prior review." (http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1474)

March 21, 2007 - "A high school journalism adviser was placed on "administrative leave" Monday after the school newspaper published an opinion article on tolerance for homosexuality and a school official halted printing of the publication." (http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1483)

April 6, 2007 - "Amy Sorrell, adviser to The Tomahawk student newspaper and the school yearbook, received a notice on March 29 for her potential contract termination after she was placed on "administrative leave" for undisclosed reasons March 19. The letter clarified the school's actions by listing seven violations against the school such as insubordination, neglect of duty and "substantial inability to perform teaching duties." (http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1495)

April 27, 2007 Amy Sorrell is removed from advising but keeps her job by being moved to a different shool in the district. (http://vvww.splc.org/newsflash_archives.asp?id=1512&year=2007)


September 10, 2007 - "Just months after reaching an agreement with East Allen County Schools that would have prevented her from teaching journalism, Sorrell instead joined the faculty at Keystone Schools, a private, Christian K-12 school in Fort Wayne, Ind. ... Keystone quickly stepped in to grab her, issuing a press release praising Sorrell’s history of free speech advocacy." (http://vvww.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1600)