Barbie is a Lesbian T-Shirt Banned and student suspended

Posted by Ban Shirts

August 23, 2007

Gay Student Suspend Over Tee Shirt

Natalie Young, a fifteen-year-old student, In the New York City School System, was suspended on April 2, for wearing an inappropriate tee shirt to school. The faculty at the high school where Natalie attends deemed the tee shirt reading “Barbie is a Lesbian” was not appropriate school attire. Natalie being gay herself, did not feel there was anything wrong with the shirt. Natalie was suspended for one day. After consulting an attorney, Natalie sued the New York City School System, and won a thirty thousand dollar settlement. The suit was filed because there was no dress code at the school; Natalie right to free speech was violated.

At the most, Natalie should have been sent home to change her shirt and then allowed to return to school. Instead, she was suspended. The school feels that they sent a message to all students that wearing inappropriate clothing to school will have consequences. Some feel that the lawyers for the school failed the system by settling this suit. It opens doors for students to wear anything they want and only have to threaten a lawsuit to get what they want. Gay communities feel that Natalie deserved the settlement because she was a minor whose rights were violated. This was simply a case of a high school student who’s tee shirt, in the opinion of teachers, was disruptive in class. Natalie was not single out of a group of children for no reason.

Read more about the Barbie is a Lesbian T-shirt Banned.

Banned T-Shirts