new thread
To whom it may concern,
My name is Joshua Lupardus. I am a sophomore at Granite City High School (GCHS) in Granite City, Illinois. A public high school I might add. I am a male student with long-hair. When I first came to the school last year, I tried to join the football team. I was declined because of my hair on what the coaches said were safety issues. When I took the matter to the athletic director, now principal, Mr. Greenwald, I was appalled to hear that the true reasoning of my dismissal was because they "don't want the school to be represented like that."
Since then I have asked other coaches in the school and they all say that male students with hair past their shoulders are not allowed to participate. In fact, the tennis coach himself told me that though I couldn't play like that, that long hair had no detrimental effect on the female tennis players. His telling me that forced me to conclude that the school truly believes in these discriminatory policies.
According to Mr. Greenwald, the head coach is allowed to decide on such issues and he has no authority over them. That is either a lie or testimony of how horrible the faculty of GCHS truly is.
Using football as an example, I cannot see how Coach Martin could possibly be that dismissive to students just because they are different. Since his arrival at GCHS Martin has never had a winning season. His team usually wins only 1 game in a 9 game season. Whether it is due to inadequate coaching or poor players, either way there is something wrong with it. I was recently informed that the Junior Varsity football team only has about 20 players. Can Coach Martin really afford to deny players the privilege of playing on the grounds that he does not like the way they look? In America, a country born on the promise of equality to all men, can he truly be allowed to continue his reign of oppression? What gives him the right to determine based on appearance, who is better than whom?
I have appealed to Greenwald repeatedly, but to no avail. I have appealed to politicians. But the cowardly staff of GCHS has decided it is their divine right to strip away the constitutional rights of their students and do whatever they feel is necessary so that the truth will not be heard. And though their intimidation may, no, will work, to deter others from letting the truth be revealed, I believe that the public has right to know what is happening in their schools.
After my contacting the Congressman, I was given heck for not following the chain of command, which at the end of this letter I will include a copy of so that others can see how unjust it truly is. These cowardly tyrants always use intimidation tactics when they talk to me. How does it sound that one fourteen year-old student is surrounded in a room by three adult “men” with, whether intentional or not, the seating of one of the three next to the only exit. Does it really take that many of the faculty to talk to one student? Did they actually need to surround said student? Are they that terrified of me that they would only talk to me in a pack? NO, I believe that these cowardly souls were trying to intimidate me. They are trying to get me to make a mistake so they can rid the school of me. But no matter what their reasoning is, one thing holds true; GCHS is trying to keep the truth from being revealed.
I feel that this prejudice must come to an end. I feel that we as Americans have an obligation to fight injustice wherever she may bare her revolting head. I feel that these tyrants must be showed that they are not given exception from the law. I feel that we must show them that we shall not be bound by chains and forced to do their bidding. Reasoning will not work, nor will one students protest. I feel that we as Americans, no we as humans need to stand together and fight these tyrants. Our forefathers fought and died to separate us from England and their oppressive rulers and I feel that we should not let their sacrifices be in vein. We have to show them that they do not, and will not ever have the divine power which they believe they have.
We need to demand a revolution at Granite City High School. We need to demand that either the current administrators abolish their policies or face discharge from their positions and banishment from the academic community.
I implore each and every person who reads this aid me in the righteous cause of equality. Please voice your opinions to either the school or myself.
Sincerely,
Joshua Lupardus