Deadline Extended for School Board Members to Accept Gay-Straight Alliance

CHAMBERSBURG, PA- The Chambersburg School Board members have a new deadline. They have until the end of the business day on Wednesday to reverse the decision they made banning a Gay-Straight Alliance to form in the high school. 

If they don't they'll have to face the consequences. 

"We've also joined with the American Civil Liberty Union of Pennsylvania to actually threaten a lawsuit if the vote is not reversed," says Ted Martin, with Equality Pennsylvania.

Officials with the ACLU say school officials can't legally discriminate against clubs. In a statement ACLU says, "Since Chambersburg allows ping-pong, bible and fishing clubs, they are legally obliged to allow the GSA and to afford them equal privileges and opportunities."

Some school board members say the money that would be spent on a lawsuit should be spent on the kids.

"With the lawsuit comes the money being spent and where does the money come from, from the taxpayers pockets," says Joan Smith, a school board member who supports the GSA.

Officials with Equality Pennsylvania say they're only standing up for what's legally right and say their role is only a small part of a much bigger plan set by the students. 

"These students are really the heroes," says Martin. "They're making the path better for everyone who comes after them and they're certainly making the path better for everyone who is out there watching this."

"I cannot imagine that anybody would want to say you're discriminated against, no we don't want this club," says Smith. "You've really got to think about what you're doing to the community and what you're saying, and as a school board member you're suppose to make a proper decision."

The original deadline to reverse the decision was Friday, but the ACLU has extended it to Wednesday.