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Residents urge board to reverse censorship of Shelby High activism club; speakers cite Equal Access Act and student safety
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Cleveland County School Board during public comment to allow a Shelby High School activism club to host a trivia event recognizing LGBTQ+ figures, saying the board's decision to bar the event violates students' rights and harms vulnerable students.
Dozens of residents told the Cleveland County Board of Education during public comment in March 2025 that a decision to prevent an activism club at Shelby High School from hosting an LGBTQ+ history trivia game amounted to unlawful and harmful censorship.
"The Equal Access Act is clear. If one student club is allowed, they all must be treated equally," Rod Powell told the board, arguing the district had singled out the club and unlawfully restricted student speech. Powell called the district's action "not just wrong; this is illegal."
Several other speakers framed the dispute as a student-safety and mental-health issue. "When you erase LGBTQ+…
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