GRANDFIELD, Okla., March 17 (UPI) -- An attorney for an Oklahoma school district says the firing of a teacher in a dispute over a gay-themed play had nothing to do with homosexuality.
Lawyer John Moyer said Debra Taylor's dismissal from her job a Grandfield High School stemmed from a mock funeral she organized as a protest of the order from the district to scrub the class project involving "The Laramie Project," a play about the killing of a homosexual teenager in Wyoming.
USA Today said Tuesday that Taylor's suspension and eventual firing created a stir in the rural community where some of her students contend the district's decision stemmed from homophobia.
Gay rights groups have urged the district to allow "The Laramie Project" to be used in its curriculum as a means of creating a tolerant culture.
Taylor told the newspaper she wasn't attempting to change anyone's views on homosexuality but rather to challenge teens who take a dim personal view of homosexuals to develop a socially appropriate level of tolerance as well.
