Students Sues School Over Gay T-Shirt

[Seifer]

And...a ton of tax payer money is wasted because of what should have been a non-issue.

It's actually insurance money that's paying the judgment. Either way, in my eyes it's the school that wasted the money. They infringed on the boy's first amendment rights and then refused to accept responsibility and change their tune. The boy gave them three chances to grow up and stop being idiots, and they refused. Now they have to pay for their stupidity.

[Greenday]

It's actually insurance money that's paying the judgment.

I'm pretty sure this is a public school. Public schools are funded by tax payer money. Any and all costs come out of that tax payer money. So the net result is a waste of $20,000 tax dollars.

[crashhelmet]

I'm pretty sure this is a public school. Public schools are funded by tax payer money. Any and all costs come out of that tax payer money. So the net result is a waste of $20,000 tax dollars.

Tax dollars may pay for the insurance premiums, but the $20k is being paid out by the insurance company.

From the article that Seifer linked:

The $20,000 that the school district has been ordered to pay will be covered by Wayne Local Schools’ insurance policy.

If you want to continue arguing the tax dollar angle, these are tax dollars budgeted for the specific purpose of paying insurance premiums for the specific purpose of taking care of issues of this nature.

So even if the school has paid out $20k in premiums to this provider, instead of adding extra gold to the insurance company's CEO's parachute, it's paying for legal fees and then going to a charity.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm pretty sure this is a public school. Public schools are funded by tax payer money. Any and all costs come out of that tax payer money. So the net result is a waste of $20,000 tax dollars.

The article says pretty clearly that the insurance the school carries will be paying the settlement. Of course, if it weren't for stupid shit like this, schools wouldn't have to carry such insurance in the first place and the premiums would be lower, so the taxpayers are paying for it, just not directly.

^-.-^

[Seifer]

I'm pretty sure this is a public school. Public schools are funded by tax payer money.

Exactly. Since it's a public school, it has to abide by the Bill of Rights (since it is funded by the government). The school officials were idiots to fight this, as it was quite apparent they were simply being bigoted toward the boy and his sexual orientation. Personally, I'm happy to have my tax money go toward defending the rights of the citizens, because in the end, I'm paying to defend my own rights, as well.

[HYHYBT]

When you make a claim against insurance, your premiums go up. Ultimately, the cost still comes from the school system; they just get to pay it over the next few years (and probably more, all told, than the original judgment)

[Pedersen]

Dammit, got too bored waiting for this process to run at work, and came here.

When did I say that I, personally, believe the shirt is inappropriate?

Where did you say it? In your first reply to this thread. Here, a reminder:

I agree with the school. It was sexual in nature but maybe not indecent.