School board amends
conduct code

It removes references to sex,
religion and race from its code

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By Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.com

Gays and lesbians will not get special protections under the state Board of Education's code of conduct -- but neither will any other group.

Rather than add "sexual orientation" and "disability" to the list of groups singled out for fair and respectful treatment, the board voted last week to wipe out all references to sex, race and religion in its code.

"It's not uncharacteristic of the board instead of addressing an issue to skirt around it and find the easiest way out for them," said Michael Golojuch Jr., a gay and civil rights activist who has been pushing for the addition since August.

The move, he said, proves "once again they're a board that doesn't like confrontation and doesn't like to do the right thing unless they're forced to."

Member Denise Matsumoto made the motion to remove all the protected classes from the code of conduct, which applies only to board members.

Board member Shannon Ajifu, the sole dissenting vote (member Marilyn Harris was absent), said yesterday that she "fully expected" the original proposal to add sexual orientation and disabilities to the code "to sail through."

"I was surprised when it didn't," she said, adding, "I saw the handwriting on the wall when the amendment was suggested."

Matsumoto said the code of conduct is different from the Chapter 19 rule the board revised last year to ban harassment of gays, lesbians and others in schools. Chapter 19, she said, dealt with student conduct and addressed groups that had a history of being harassed.

"In the case of our code of conduct, we don't have a history of treating people ... with certain disabilities without courtesy, so why do we need to single them out?" she asked. "There hasn't been a historical problem with the way the board treats people.

"(Chapter 19) was for students; we're adults, and as adults we should be able to ... figure out how we're supposed to treat people."

If that were the case, protected classes would not be necessary in areas like employment law, Golojuch said, adding he will continue to push for the addition to the board's code.

Board member Karen Knudsen, who said she was a strong supporter of Chapter 19, said the new code is strengthened by not listing particular categories.

Golojuch disagreed. The board, he said, has "proven time and time again, when they do move they move slowly at a snail's pace. Any step they make forward, they take three steps back."

Before last Thursday's vote, the code read that board members will "treat all individuals fairly, with respect and courtesy, and without regard to race, creed, national origin, sex, religion and socioeconomic status."

The affected part now reads, "Treat all individuals fairly, with respect and courtesy."