School which blocked valedictorian from coming out did not discriminate, reports lawyer
A school which refused to allow a valedictorian come out as gay in his graduation speech did not discriminate, reports a lawyer.
The attorney was hired by the Twin Peaks Charter Academy, in order to ascertain whether it legally discriminated against Evan Young, when it refused to let him give a speech during which he planned to come out.
The report will be given to the St Vrain Valley school board, and is set to be reviewed next month.
18-year-old Evan Young had planned to come out as gay in his valedictorian speech at Twin Peaks charter academy high school in Longmont.
However, after a dispute with school administrators who asked him to remove the disclosure about his sexuality, Young was told he could not speak. The school accused him of attempting to “push a personal agenda”.
However shortly before the ceremony, school principal PJ Buchmann called Young’s parents and explained that the speech was problematic, and told them that he is gay, despite them not previously knowing.
Young was given the chance to give his graduation speech by LGBT group Out Bolder.
At around half way, he made the big reveal, after talking about missing his classmates, and passing high school with at 4.5 GPA.
He said: “On a more serious note, there is something I would like to reveal to you…Y ou may have already suspected this… I’m gay.”
The full speech is available to watch below
