Teacher Faces School Board for “Queer Animals” Article

Illinois teacher Dan DeLong will face the Southwestern School District Monday for offering an optional assignment that had students analyze the structure and argumentative form of an article discussing the prevalence of homosexuality in the animal kingdom.

The 10th grade AP English teacher was suspended with pay once a parent read the online scientific article and notified school officials.

Upon learning of DeLong’s suspension students rallied around their teacher and started Facebook groups calling for DeLong’s reinstatement and asking students, teachers and parents for their support by attend the hearing Monday evening.  To date, the two groups collectively have over 3,000 supporters.

The 2006 article, “The Gay Animal Kingdom,” by Johan Lehrer, discusses research done by Joan Roughgarden, a biology professor at Stanford University who documented more than 450 vertebrate species that engage in homosexual behavior.

The school board hearing is scheduled for Monday, November 2 at 2pm at the district office.

The article: The Gay Animal Kingdom

Facebook groups:

Let's Join Together to Keep Mr. DeLong at SHS FOREVER!