April 4, 2012
Gay Student Sues Ohio School District Over T-Shirt
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
CINCINNATI (AP) - A gay student whose southwest Ohio high school prohibited him from wearing a T-shirt designed to urge tolerance of gays is suing the school, saying it's violating his freedom of expression rights.
The mother of 16-year-old Maverick Couch filed the federal lawsuit on his behalf against Wayne Local School District and the principal of Waynesville High School, northeast of Cincinnati.
Couch is a junior at the public school. His lawsuit says he's been threatened with suspension if he wears a shirt bearing the message "Jesus Is Not a Homophobe." The lawsuit says school officials told him the shirt is "sexual in nature" and inappropriate.
The lawsuit asks that school officials be ordered to allow Couch to wear the shirt. It also seeks unspecified damages.
School district Superintendent Patrick Dubbs said Tuesday he hadn't seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment.
