Classwork on gay marriage riles parents
By JANESE HEAVIN of the Tribune’s staff
Published Friday, May 4, 2007

Parents gave local educators an earful after fifth-grade students at Derby Ridge Elementary School were asked to read a newspaper column supporting same-sex marriage.

Columbia Public Schools administrators say the assignment wasn’t appropriate for 10- and 11-year-olds. "The purpose was to become familiar with editorial writing and respond in an editorial back," said Jack Jensen, assistant superintendent of elementary education. "But it was not an appropriate topic to use at this age level."

The students had brought up the topic of gay marriage before the assignment during a classroom discussion on current events, Jensen said. The newspaper article used in Wednesday’s assignment was a nationally syndicated column written by Richard Cohen titled "Gay marriage ban no benefit to society." It appeared in the July 17, 2006, edition of the Tribune. the rest