High School Prayer List for Gay Teens Outed

[Dardedar]

DAR
Eureka Springs nutbar. Check out the evolution material too:

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High school prayer list for gay teens outed

Dale McCurry
Updated: 12/20/2006

By Dale McCurry and Terry Shirley

EUREKA SPRINGS – Local musician and songwriter Catherine Reed outed a Eureka Springs High School prayer-group list that allegedly contains the names of suspected gay high school students during her “Eureka Home for Christmas,” performance Friday night.
  The group, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a local chapter of an organization active in public schools across the nation, meets in the classroom of science teacher Darrell Trahan. A list of students for whom the group wished to pray was found in Trahan’s room. At least some of the students on the list were identified by the group as gays and lesbians, according to Superintendent Reck Wallis.
  “It hurt some of the kids’ feelings,” Wallis told the Citizen. “It hurts our feelings, too. It looks like you’re singling out a certain group. Just know that our school administration does not, and would not, condone such activity. It runs contrary to what we believe and stand for.”
  “This issue is between parents and their children,” Reed told the Citizen. “I ask the students of Eureka Springs to be tolerant and to not harass these students. My concern is that the school protects the students right to privacy.
  “I am asking students, ex-students and parents to come forward and look into this. Don’t just let it go,” Reed said. “The first objective is: Do no further harm.”
  Wallis said high school Principal David Childers has dealt with the issue and it appears it has been handled, over and done with. No disciplinary action was taken regarding the teacher.
  “What steps have been taken?” Childers asked rhetorically. “No more lists; no more designation of any particular group; only prayers for the general populace as a whole.
  “We apologize for what happened. We certainly don’t condone what happened and have taken steps to remedy it.”

Numerous reports
  Though Childers said it was his understanding Trahan was not present when the list was generated, a number of sources have told the Citizen they or their children have seen Trahan’s handwriting on the list and that it was found on his desk.
  “I cannot confirm or deny that,” Childers said. “Mr. Trahan has told me he has not seen it, but I talked to one student who told me that Mr. Trahan added at least one name to the list. I haven’t seen it, though.”
  Where is the list? he was asked.
  “No one has produced it for me, yet,” Childers said.
  Would that change the situation and how he would deal with it, if Childers were to see Trahan’s handwriting on the list?
  “Yes, that would change things.”
  There is also a repeated report that when students were throwing pencils in Trehan’s class at a student listed as a lesbian and she asked him to make them stop harassing her, he said, “Well, you really brought this on yourself, didn’t you?”
  “Yes, I have heard that as well,” Childers said. “When I brought it to Mr. Trahan’s attention, he said he didn’t remember anything like that. Later he came back and said that if he ever were to say anything like that it would be just kidding around in general and not dealing with someone’s sexual orientation.”

The evolution of the story
  There have also been a number of reports that Trahan has long taught creationism in his science class, contrary to state law. The Citizen received the following correspondence Tuesday morning:
  My name is Ché Van Nice; I was a student at Eureka Springs High School from 1995 to 1999.  During my Sophomore year, approximately 1998, Mr. Trahan was my biology teacher. During this class, Mr. Trahan was required to instruct the students in the theory of evolution as per the state's required curriculum. He, however, decided this requirement was in direct contrast of his personal beliefs, regardless of state requirements. Therefore, to appease his own conscience, the teacher of a high school biology class announced this conflict to his students. He then turned to the board behind him and wrote ‘I’m Lying’ in rather large letters. Turning back to his students, he proceeded to educate us in the theories of evolution as prescribed by state curriculum, with the words ‘I’m lying’ inscribed on the blackboard behind him.
  Trahan denied the allegation he wrote “I’m lying,” on the blackboard, although he admitted he does not personally believe in the theory of evolution.
  “The school needs to uphold the state laws regarding teaching creationism in the public-funded classrooms,” Reed said.
  “I would also welcome Mr. T to add me to his list.

the rest...

[Barbara Fitzpatrick]

I'd want that list found and verified before I'd comment on it (the main thing that bothers me about it is it supposedly being found in the teacher's desk, he shouldn't have been part of this "student activity") - but why in the heck does a person who doesn't believe in evolution become a biology teacher, for his lord's sake? He could have gone into chemistry or physics, if he absolutely had to be in the science field. While they are part of the process of evolution, the term doesn't come up and you don't have to extrapolate them out to their connection with the universe in a high school classroom, so the whole controversy won't come up.