Within a few days of sending a letter and blogging about how Greenway High School had blocked an email from us with the word "gay" in it, we received a letter back from the High School saying the problem was corrected immediately and providing assurances that this instance does reflect Greenway's values of inclusion and anti-discrimination. 

It is incredibly heartening to see a school respond so promptly and compassionately about our concerns.

This is not a typical response. The previous week we sent a letter to Morris High School telling them they needed to do more to protect LGBT students who complained about harassment and restrictions on their free speech rights. Instead of addressing our concerns they dismissed the issues we raised entirely.

We also received a renewed request from Greenway about providing a speaker on LGBT rights, because they think it is important for students to hear this message. As interim superintendent Matt Grose told us, "In rural Minnesota, students often do not have access to resources that students in the metro might have, in some cases making them feel even more isolated." The ACLU of Minnesota hopes to be that resource for Greenway students going forward.