Hello everyone!
Yesterday was an emotional roller coaster. I learned of a previous lawsuit against the school and Lindsey Gilbert, and then learned that the family affected is gagged by an NDA. I will get a copy of the public records and share a redacted version to protect the family, hopefully sometime soon.
I spent several hours on the phone yesterday hearing multiple stories of unpunished bullying, racial discrimination, homophobia, and misogyny. I also heard patterns of abuse of power and silencing of victims and their families. I did not sleep well last night.
Someone close to the administration also told me that they have very little hope that the board will oust Lindsey Gilbert because he chose each member and selected people who are loyal to him. I don't know, but in the event that this is true, I am going to ask for us to focus in another direction today.
If each of us take 5 minutes and send emails to the Presbyterian Church, the head of People To People International's Board who Menaul has close ties to, and directly to Menaul for good measure (and anyone else from the list you feel led to email,) we may get some traction that way.
Email addresses: ptpi@ptpi.org, info@pcusa.org, ac@pcanet.org, PED.helpdesk@state.nm.us, contact@menaulschool.org, office@secondpresabq.org, carolyn.rhodes@firstpresabq.org, info@citypresabq.com
A SAMPLE EMAIL might look like:
To Whom It May Concern;
I am writing today to express my deep anger, sadness, and disappointment about the recent actions of the current head of Menaul School, Lindsey Gilbert and lack of action on the part of the school board to rectify his unacceptable homophobia, discrimination, and retaliation against recently graduated student, Ben Henry.
June 30, 2021, the final day of Pride Month, Ben’s family filed a human rights violation lawsuit against Menaul School in Albuquerque, NM, and the head of school, Lindsey Gilbert, specifically, for discrimination based on sexual orientation and unlawful retaliation against Ben. We need your help to ensure that Menaul School is a safe environment for LGBTQ students going forward.
In a nutshell, a fellow male student found themselves attracted to Ben and his homophobic parents and best friend couldn’t handle that truth. To take the scrutiny off of himself, the student lied and said Ben was sexually harassing people and threatening violence at school. The parents, the student, and his best friend (also a Menaul School student) proceeded to spread rumors about Ben amongst the Senior class, parents of students, & teachers, and once they had people sufficiently scared, “reported” Ben to the school administration. Everything that followed was a result of Mr. Gilbert’s biased homophobic views and his choices as a result of that.
The discrimination is clear in that Benjamin was punished on a level that was far beyond any logic and punitive in nature, while his heteronormative peers, who engaged in the same conversations received no consequences at all. Realistically all of the students engaged in normal teenage behavior, outside of school, in private, not on school platforms or property, and none of it deserved punishment. Meanwhile, the harm to Ben, and potentially to others, has been so great, that we are calling for Mr. Gilbert's immediate removal from his position, and for changes to the policies and practices regarding disciplinary matters so that one person’s hatred and bias can never again cause such damage.
Additional instances of bullying, racial discrimination, homophobia, and strong arming by the school to silence victims are coming to light daily.
Over 800 community members, so far, have signed a petition calling for change and the school has failed to act.
Please help in whatever way you can.
More details are available at https://www.change.org/MakeMenaulSafe4LGBTQStudents
Regards, xxx
Thank you to everyone who is standing with us. It means everything to know we are not in this alone.
Maaike