A federal judge Monday rejected an Alpharetta High School student's bid to be reinstated as student body president, Channel 2 Action News reported.
At the bench trial of his lawsuit against the Fulton County schools, Alpharetta High’s principal and two student advisers, senior Reuben Lack took the stand Monday to testify that he had been punished for speaking up for gay rights.
Lack said the advisers had no right to remove him in February for pushing to make the school’s prom king and queen selection more inclusive to gay and lesbian students.
The student council voted down Lack’s proposal. Shortly afterward, school officials removed the honor student and debate team captain as president.
Lack’s suit said the incident had caused him "great emotional distress," deprived him of an honor he worked hard to achieve, threatened his admission to the college of his choice and denied him the right to address students at graduation.
James Radford, attorney for Lack, told Channel 2 outside court Monday, “For a student to be punished because he’s a fervent advocate for what he believes in, that’s not the American way.”
School officials disagreed that Lack’s prom proposal prompted his dismissal.
In their own testimony Monday, they listed for the court 21 offenses against Lack, ranging from lack of respect for others, the fact that his fellow council members were disgruntled with his behavior, and that the youth could not follow direction.
Students also testified, backing up the school’s defense.
In handing down his decision, U.S. District Judge Richard Story sided with the school.
“It is time to close this chapter in your life and move on,” Story told Lack.
Earlier, on March 30, the judge rejected the student's request for immediate reinstatement as student body president.
Nathaniel Lack, the student’s father, told Channel 2 that the family was disappointed with the judge’s ruling, but it’s now up to his son to decide whether to continue the fight. The school’s advisers and their attorney, Todd Hatcher, declined to speak with Channel 2 about the case.
-- Staff writer Bill Rankin contributed to this article.
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