James Walker (L) and Steven de los Santos (R), Clovis High School seniors advocating for the formation of a GSA.


CLOVIS, NM – The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico sent a letter to Clovis Municipal School District Superintendent Terry Myers today urging “immediate approval” of a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club at Clovis High School in Clovis, New Mexico. The letter noted that “students have been waiting approximately two months for your approval to begin meetings…Unreasonable delay in approving the GSA singles this organization out as receiving unequal treatment compared to other student organizations.”  The ACLU said it is “prepared to take whatever legal action is necessary to defend the legal rights of students seeking to form the GSA.”
“We’re calling on the Superintendent to act in good faith and to approve the GSA now,” said ACLU-NM Executive Director Peter Simonson.  “Don’t delay this decision in hopes it goes away over the summer.  The students have waited patiently and they’ve followed all the procedures required of them.  They deserve this club.”
GSAs are student-run extracurricular clubs that bring together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight students to support each other and promote tolerance, and are common in public school districts throughout New Mexico and the nation.
Student Steven de los Santos first made the request to form the GSA in February 2011. However, last month the school board for the Clovis Municipal School District voted to ban all non-curricular clubs from meeting during school hours or using school resources, making it harder for club organizers to publicize meetings. The GSA was still not given approval to form as a non-curricular club.
In the letter, the ACLU of New Mexico calls attention to the fact that some non-curricular clubs have been allowed to meet after school since the board vote. The school cannot refuse to allow a GSA to meet without violating the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act.
"Although the superintendent insists that the change in policy was not due to any particular club request, the fact remains that the GSA still has not been given approval to meet,” said ACLU-NM Staff Attorney Alexandra Freedman Smith. "If other clubs are allowed to meet, the school cannot exclude certain groups while allowing others.”
The ACLU letter points out that the GSA has a faculty sponsor, the students have submitted a detailed description of this student club and they have agreed to hold meetings after the school day is over.
“We’ve been waiting for months for the school board to give us permission to meet, even if that’s after school hours,” said de los Santos. “All we want is to form a club that will promote tolerance and offer support to students who just want to be themselves, but we’re running out of time before the school year ends.”
For a copy of the demand letter, please click HERE.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Micah McCoy, (505) 266-5915 Ext. 1003 or mmccoy@aclu-nm.org

###