DeVos Refuses To Protect LGBTQ Students From Discrimination

DeVos Refuses To Protect LGBTQ Students From Discrimination
Speaking before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education yesterday, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos argued she could see no situation where the federal government should step in to protect students from discrimination in schools. Her remarks were in response to questions from Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) focusing on a school in Indiana that has a policy of expelling and/or denying admission to students from any household where LGBTQ identity exists.
DeVos’ line of reasoning revolves around the centerpiece idea she’s pushed for years: using federal funds to support private (predominantly religious) schools.
Using Lighthouse Christian Academy in Bloomington, Indiana as an example, Clark laid out her line of questioning. Noting the school receives over $665,000 in state funding (through a voucher program similar to what DeVos wants to employ on a national basis), Clark outlined the school’s policies including one that prohibits admission or ongoing education “if you are from a family where there is homosexual or bisexual activity” or “practicing alternate gender identity.”

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