The principal of North Bend High School in Oregon has reportedly stepped down from his post following complaints that students have been forced to read from the Bible as a form of punishment.
According to The World, principal Bill Lucero has been removed from his post as part of a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oregon on behalf of current and former North Bend High School students Liv Funk and Hailey Smith.
North Bend School District Human Resources Director Brad Bixley noted that Lucero will be reassigned to another post next school year.
KEZI.com reported that Lucero admitted to having students read Biblical passages as a form of discipline.
An investigation conducted between 2016 and 2017 also showed that the principal had "repeatedly failed to respond to LGBTQ students' complaints, including when his son . . . nearly hit the couple with his car while yelling a homophobic slur," according to The World.
The district had reportedly failed to investigate the complaint and had allowed Lucero to deal with the issue as a parent, instead of as a school official.
The settlement with the ACLU also demanded the removal or replacement of school resource officer Jason Griggs, who reportedly told one of the complainants that "she was going to hell for being gay" when she reported an assault on another LGBT student.
Additionally, the district was required to form a five-year partnership with the ACLU of Oregon to create policies and training programs in an effort to prevent future discrimination.
Funk and Smith, who filed the complaints in 2016, had reportedly decided not to pursue legal action against the district. The two complainants did not seek monetary compensation, but they have asked the district to make a donation of $1,000 to the Q&A of Coos County, a local support group for LGBT individuals.
"I hope this can also bring awareness to these types of issues and can show students that they are not powerless," Funk said in a news release.
The Oregon Department of Education is also requiring the district to create a Diversity and Inclusion Committee that will make preparations for a "Coming Out Day," and "Ally Week" at the school.
On Monday, the school district issued a statement assuring students that it will work to avoid discrimination in the future.
"The district has been, and will continue to be, committed to improving its school environment for all students, including LGBTQ students," the statement read. "It looks forward to improving its complaint reporting procedures and staff training to prevent bullying and harassment from occurring in the first place".
