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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 2000)
august 4.2000 * J u s t « •tig nTïT!T7TÏÏ7R3rinews P re - emptive S trike Portland Public Schools board members brace for another battle over military recruiters by J o n a th a n Kipp . tk e ter o 0 v a t W e ^ tU e A g eO t * *n n ° . r e d Bv»Ve t s ,ï.* P e n e n U s tener l iv e M te n . n the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling allowing legal discrimination against gay Boy Scouts of America lead ers, the dehate over military recruiters in Portlands public schools is resurfacing. In 1995, the school board adopted two reso lutions to deal with the controversy. One motion banned from campuses any employer with dis criminatory practices, and the other declared the military such an employer. Military recruitment on school property was banned as a result.' Although other issues were raised at the tim^ that were critical of recruiters, including alleged coercive practices, the ban was based solely on the military’s discriminatory practices. Some think the military still practices discrimination against minorities and women, hut at issue was the overt bias against sexual minorities—out lined in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Since then, the military has continued to lobby the school district and twice has attempted to regain access to public sc hex') Is in the City of Roses through the Oregon Legislature. Although unsuccessful thus far, the military continues to apply pressure to board members. Now, some schixd hoard members might want to reconsider the district’s policy, sources say. Board member Marc Abrams, who spear headed the ban, says to overturn it, one of two things would have to happen: a reversal of the overall policy would have to be made, or the military would have to prove it no longer dis criminates. The latter is not a possibility, Abrams says. All indications point to a strict enforcement of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and continued discrim ination against homosexuals by the U.S. mili tary. Since 1994, when the new policy went into effect, discharges of gay military personnel have increased significantly— from 617 in 1994 to 1,145 in 1998. According to Defense Department docu ments, “Congress expressly found that service by those who have a propensity to engage in homo sexual conduct creates an unacceptable risk to moral, good order and discipline, and unit cohe sion." But the military also says sexual orienta tion is a personal and private matter that is not a bar to service “unless manifested by homosex ual conduct,” according to Abrams. Effectively, homosexuals who remain abstinent during their service would he in compliance with the policy. But according to military statistics from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, an over whelming majority of discharges are based on statements rather than on homosexual acts. In 1998, only 154 of the 1,145 discharges were based on homosexual acts. Board member Susan Hagmeier says she will support the ban if it comes to a vote because the military is not an equal-opportunity employer. “Allowing recruiters access to the captive audi ence in the schools implies endorsement of dis crimination,” she says. Patricia Hollingsworth, who was one of the primary petitioners for the ban in 1995, says some new hoard members aren’t aware of all the issues surrounding the controversy because they didn’t hear the original testimony that led to the decision. She objects to recruitment for many reasons— most related to discrimination. She says the military has no business being in schools. “It’s just unthinkable to me." Hollingsworth thought a ban would be impossible, she says, until she met Abrams in 1995. She and others now intend to lobby new 50l3^ ^ s'com Marc Abrams hoard members about the entire issue. The Oregonian called July 24 for the Portland Public Schools board to stop banning military recruiters. The editorial claimed the policy has kept students from hearing about opportunities for jobs, training and money and has been an “unnecessary distraction for the board.” Abrams disagrees and says The Oregonian doesn’t know what it is talking about. Virtually no time has been spent on the subject in the past five years, he says. Abrams says the issue was raised in August 1999 during a review of the Oregon National Guard. He says the Guard ignores “don’t ask, don’t tell,” so the board amended the policy and let the Guard back into Portland’s schools. “Two to three hours— tops,” Abrams says about the time spent by the board. “At no time has it distracted the school board from its duties.” The Oregonian also called the board hypo critical because it spent more than $55,000 to keep the Boy Scouts in schools despite alleged discriminatory practices. Why eliminate the military but fight for the Scouts, they asked. Despite what Abrams’ stance was then, he is not mincing words now. “1 do not support the Boy Scouts remaining,” he told Just Out. But Abrams doesn’t expect the Scouts issue to be brought up. “Frankly, with the uncertainty with the military, I don’t think the current board is ready to move on that,” he says. The board would need four votes to overturn the ban on military recruiters. At least two members are said to be in favor of a repeal. O th ers either are undecided and open to public debate or do not want to address the issue any time soon. School hoard member Derry Jackson doesn’t want the board to revisit the controversy at this point. He wants to ftxus on other issues and wants time to gather public comment about the ban. “I have encouraged the board to delay con sidering the question at this time so as to allow the district to remain focused on a couple of key and, in my humble opinion, more pressing mat ters,” Jackson says. 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