The Brevard County school board voted 3-2 on Tuesday to pass a non-discrimination policy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, teachers and staff.
The policy is an overhaul of the current anti-harassment rules and equal employment policy of the Brevard Public Schools. It prohibits employment discrimination and student harassment on the basis of either gender identity or sexual orientation.
School board members Andy Ziegler, Amy Kneessy and Misty Belford voted in favor of the LGBT policy, with John Craig and Karen Henderson voted against. The vote came at the end of a six-hour meeting with an audience of more than 100, including both LGBT policy advocates and opponents.
According to Florida Today, proponents of the policy sat in the audience on one side, dressed in red, while opponents sat on the other side, holding signs with the words “Vote No.” People in the audience on both sides of the aisle clapped, cheered and jeered the various speakers.
photo: todayflorida.com
