Gillman case to heard Monday

May 9, 2008 - 2:09PM

TOM McLAUGHLIN, Florida Freedom Newswire

A federal lawsuit filed by a 16-year-old claiming her rights were violated by educators who prevented her from wearing clothing, stickers or buttons supporting gay rights makes it to court Monday.

Heather Gillman sued Ponce de Leon High School principal David Davis and the Holmes County School Board for allegedly violating her right to free speech.

She claims the school officials ordered her not to wear items containing slogans or symbols supporting homosexuals.

The case will be heard at the United States Courthouse in Panama City.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Gillman and an openly gay cousin by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The principal, Davis, has been removed from the original lawsuit, though Judge Richard Smoak has said he can be sued as an individual.

ACLU officials could not be reached for comment Friday morning.

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Reader's comments

When you overeat, you hurt yourself. Sex outside of marriage hurts both you, your partner, your future family, your relationship with others, and your relationship with God. Emotional damage, unplanned pregnancy and sometimes even severe or fatal diseases result from sex outside of monogamous marriage. That's the difference.
mom - May 14, 2008 06:32:49 PM	Remove Comment


What is the difference in those sins?
tj - May 14, 2008 12:50:40 AM	Remove Comment


TJ, there's a pretty big difference in sexual sin and overeating, dontcha think? You sound like a reasonably smart young person. You could make your arguement without resorting to petty insults. They weaken your defense.
mom - May 13, 2008 11:10:09 PM	Remove Comment


The question is, had the girl in question chosen to wear a "I am a Christian" pin, would her right to do so be supported? In Holmes County, yes. Elsewhere, no. Free speech needs to be supported everywhere and expanded to include people of the Christain persuasion.
Mary - May 13, 2008 10:55:32 AM	Remove Comment


I totally support the students' right of free expression and the Separation of Church and State. I feel homosexuality is a sin. So is overeating and from the looks of some of the guts hanging over in PDL there are a lot of sinners there. You would throw the case out because you all are a bunch of racist hating bigots. Holmes County will lose the lawsuit and be ordered to stop discrimination. Then if they don't stop this discrimination, someone will go to jail.
TJ - May 13, 2008 10:21:03 AM	Remove Comment


Harris, you are NOT intelligent enough to make comments.
Jo - May 13, 2008 08:33:58 AM	Remove Comment


yea im so glad yall think wat yall do yall dont even know wat has really been goin on did mr davis once take yall into his office to ask you if you were gay and accuse you of stuff you didnt even do i really didnt think so and now sayn that homos are a digrace to the school and world well yall need to get yalls story straight and acually understand wat is really goin on cuz me and heather and everybody else doin this is DOING THE RIGHT THING SO DEAL WITH IT
Addy Harris - May 13, 2008 08:12:16 AM	Remove Comment


Wish I were the judge for this case and right out of court I'd throw this case! It is clear to see that the ACLU has once again come to the aid of a "trouble maker" who wants to stir up the school and community just to make a point. This 16-year-old has plenty of opportunities outside of the school environment to exercise his or her right of free speech and promote gay rights, but the school is NOT the proper place for doing this. The student should be attending school with his or her mind on the course work laid out for him or her and not on trying to convince others that gays are being infringed upon. It would be equally inappropriate for a student to be allowed to wear clothing with slogans about heterosexual sex. Just NO slogans with sexual implications! Period, end of court case, end of conversation. I hope the ACLU and the student and the rest of the family are laughed out of the court house. This is a total waste of judicial resources!
Florida Sunshine - May 11, 2008 01:13:00 AM	Remove Comment


I totally support the Principal. He has been mischaracterized. Let's hope he prevails. What are our schools coming to when the Principal can't set the dress code? Good grief.
pirate - May 10, 2008 11:37:22 PM	Remove Comment

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