SCHOOL RELENTS ON GAY T-SHIRT

An American school has agreed to allow a student to wear a pro-gay t-shirt after it was threatened with a lawsuit for infringing her rights.

Hoover High School in Alabama barred Sara Couvillon (15) from wearing a t-shirt with the slogan “Gay? Fine by me,” claiming that they were concerned about her safety.

Couvillon, however, said that she had previously worn the t-shirt a number of times with no negative reactions.

Civil rights organisation the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) sent a letter to the school saying that its “conduct of preventing Sara from wearing her t-shirt violates both the First and Fourteenth Amendments and must immediately cease” or it would “file a federal lawsuit seeking full redress”.

On Thursday, within a day of the letter being sent, the School reversed its position and will now allow Couvillon to wear the t-shirt.

“I’m very relieved and I feel like this is a major victory for the LGBT community in Alabama,” said Couvillon. “This was not just about me – it was about encouraging people to be brave in standing up for themselves and standing up for their rights.”

A federal court previously ruled that a Florida school board could not prohibit students from wearing pro-gay symbols or slogans.