69´«Ă˝

Equity & Diversity

ACLU, Yale Law School Run Campaign Against Filtering LGBT Content

By Ian Quillen — June 15, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The American Civil Liberties Union and Yale Law School are collaborating on a “Don’t Filter Me” campaign to ask students to check if lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender resources are being blocked by their schools’ Internet filters.

Some schools, according to the ACLU, are guilty of filtering all LGBT content and thus infringing on free-speech rights as well as the Equal Access Act, which requires schools to give access to resources (including those on the Web) to all extracurricular clubs, includinggay-straight alliances and LGBT support groups. The Equal Access Act was passed in 1984 after lobbying from religious groups that wanted to ensure the rights of students to conduct Bible-study programs during lunch or after school.

In addition, the ACLU says, other schools have been found to block equal-rights advocacy organization websites like those of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, while allowing access to sites that condemn homosexuality or insist homosexuals can be transformed into heterosexuals, such as People Can Change.

While the ACLU lumps these dual claims together, they could stem, if true, from two very different causes.

Biased blocking of only sites that show LGBT issues positively points to a chief technology officer and/or a school culture with a specific and purposeful agenda.

But blocking all LGBT-related content could point to a chief technology officer who either hasn’t targeted inappropriate material carefully enough using a filtering system’s parameters, or is using a system that lacks enough nuance.

A lack of complexity in filtering is a dwindling but still-common complaint in some schools, especially as teachers look to use more complex and less restricted Web tools in their daily classroom operations.

The ACLU has taken action on claims of LGBT-based filtering in at least 23 states, and sent letters demanding a halt to such filtering in six since the initiative began on Feb. 15.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the June 15, 2011 edition of Digital Directions as ACLU, Yale Law School Run Campaign Against Filtering LGBT Content

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69´«Ă˝
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Equity & Diversity Spotlight Spotlight on Equity
This Spotlight will help you explore critical issues related to DEI, as well as strategies to address disparities in access and opportunity.
Equity & Diversity Opinion The Fight Over DEI Continues. Can We Find Common Ground?
Polarizing discussion topics in education can spark a vicious cycle of blame. Is it possible to come to a mutual understanding?
7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion You Need to Understand Culturally Responsive Teaching Before You Can Do It
Too often, teachers focus solely on the content. They need to move beyond that and get out of their comfort zones.
11 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion How Can Educators Strike a Healthy Balance on Diversity and Inclusion?
DEI advocates and opponents both have good points—and both can go too far.
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty