Two Weber High students were suspended from school for kissing each other after administrators repeatedly had asked them to stop, a district spokesman said.
The girls were suspended for two days for insubordination and have returned to school, said Weber School District spokesman Nate Taggart. He says there had been complaints about the girls kissing at school, and administrators must deal with students who don't follow reasonable requests."The administration handled this as they would any time kids have been reported for kissing," Taggart said. He says the issue has nothing to do with sexual orientation.
School policy prohibits inappropriate touching or kissing in public.
Weber High principal Dean Oborn says the girls, often seen kissing in the commons area outside the front office, were brought to the office several times, reminded of the policy and asked to stop.
"Finally, we called them in and suspended them and called their parents, and they were very supportive of what we were doing," Oborn said en route to watch his students compete in a state volleyball tournament. "It wasn't a single incident."
Administrators have spoken to other boys and girls violating the policy this year, but those students have not reoffended, Oborn said. "In my opinion, we have treated everyone equally."
But one teacher apparently doesn't think so. English teacher Kirk Ottley sent an e-mail to school staff saying all students deserved equal treatment under the policy, Oborn said.
But Ottley may have gone too far in stating the girls' names in the e-mail, which could be a violation of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. The e-mail also made its way to computers outside the school building.
"Talking about the situation is one thing, but naming the students is another," Taggart said.
School officials have talked to Ottley about the e-mail, but Oborn would not elaborate, citing privacy issues.
Ottley was teaching early Friday and could not be reached for comment by press time.