
Gay Student Expelled, Allowed To Finish Year
WILLIAMSBURG, KY -- A student at the University of the
Cumberlands that was expelled after he revealed he is gay will be allowed
to send in work to finish his courses and receive final grades, the
student and his lawyer said Tuesday.
Jason Johnson, 20, and the school reached an agreement concerning his
final transcript, according to Johnson and his lawyer, Don Waggener of
Lexington.
Johnson was expelled April 6 after posting his sexual orientation on a Web
site. The dean's list student received all Fs on his transcript when he
was expelled.
"This will preserve my academic record," he told the Lexington
Herald-Leader Tuesday night. He is now planning to transfer to Eastern
Kentucky University.
Under the agreement, Johnson relinquishes his right to sue the university
for damages but retains his right to file complaints with the U.S.
Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools, the regional accrediting agency. Johnson's lawyer says that such
complaints will be filed.
The university's lawyer, Jamie Jordan, said that "We're comfortable the
university hasn't done anything in violation of Department of Education
regulations or SACS requirements."
The Kentucky Fairness Alliance and Kentucky Collegiate Coalition are
holding a rally Wednesday in Williamsburg to protest discrimination
against gays. Johnson said he had not decided whether he would attend.
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