Student threatened with suspension after op-ed opposing gay adoption

A 15 year-old student was ask to write an op-ed on the topic of gay adoption. He wrote in opposition to the topic using the Bible as his primary source for the basis of his argument. A gay parent saw the op-ed and complained and thus the student was bullied by the superintendent and threatened with suspension because of his ‘offense’.

Lefty intolerance on display. Here’s the article from Todd Starnes at Fox News:

[Brandon] Wegner, a student at Shawano High School, was asked to write an op-ed for the school newspaper about whether gays should be allowed to adopt. Wegner, who is a Christian, wrote in opposition. Another student wrote in favor of allowing gays to adopt.

Wegner used Bible passages to defend his argument, including Scripture that called homosexuality a sin.

After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained.

The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.”

“Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.”

But Staver said what the school system did next was absolutely outrageous. He said the 15-year-old was ordered to the superintendent’s office where he was subjected to hours of meetings and was accused of violating the school’s bullying policy.

“The superintendent called him ignorant and said he had the power to suspend him,” Staver said. “He’s using his position to bully this student. This is absolutely the epitome of intolerance.”

Staver said the boy’s parents were never notified.

At one point, Staver said the superintendent gave him a chance to say he regretted writing the column.

“When Mr. Wegner stated that he did not regret writing it, and that he stood behind his beliefs, Superintendent Carlson told him that he ‘had got to be one of the most ignorant kids to try to argue with him about this topic,’” Staver said.

At that point, Staver said the superintendent told the boy that “we have the power to suspend you if we want to.”

The superintendent allegedly told Wegner that he was personally offended by Wegner’s column.

You can read the op-ed here.

I read his op-ed and while it isn’t the best opposition argument that one could make on the topic, it certainly doesn’t justify the superintendent’s actions. I believe the primary concern was his first quote from Leviticus that said “they shall surely be put to death.” Now, if I had written it and included that verse, I would have immediately qualified that (if I included it at all) by noting that we don’t live under the law of the old testament any longer and this certainly isn’t a call for anyone’s death. But even so, it’s clear by the full context of his writing that he isn’t calling for anyone’s death and only the dumbest of libs would try and make such an argument.

Also, one other point that I think is good. Note the apology from the school:

The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.”

Isn’t this true of how liberals see dissent of most of their sacred issues? Not only is dissent offensive to them, but they say it’s disrespectful. Isn’t that exactly what libs claimed after Obama was elected? Any dissent aimed at him was racist and disrespectful.

Thus this rule should typically work: Dissent against liberal ideas is disrespectful; dissent against conservative ideas is speaking truth to power.


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