“Epistemology” - Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education

Adrian Arambulo, Reporter
Church Group Protests 'The Laramie Project'
(May 6) -- Students and staff at Las Vegas Academy are responding to
flyers being distributed by a church group that says everyone associated
with the school will "go to hell."
The Kansas-based church is upset because they say the school is
performing a play that promotes homosexuality. Eyewitness News spoke
to an actor in the play and the school's principal.
"It's basically about hatred and not to hate," said Leland Smith. Leland is
a student and actor in the Las Vegas Academy's production of The
Laramie Project.
Leland Smith: "I feel bad for them. That's their ignorance, not really
knowing about our school."
Leland feels bad for members of the Westboro Baptist Church -- a group
that's passing out flyers protesting the performance of the play. The flyer
says everyone associated with Las Vegas Academy and the Laramie
Project will eventually join Matt Shepard in hell. The play is based on
Shepard -- a gay man who was beaten to death five years ago in
Laramie, Wyoming.
Leland Smith, student actor in the play
The flyer from Westboro Baptist Church berates and insults the students
and staff of Las Vegas Academy: "God hates Las Vegas Academy, the
school board and all responsible for leading the kids to lives of sin,
shame, and death in inculcating them that it's okay to be gay!"
The church-goers plan on staging a protest at the school next
Wednesday. They say the school is performing a play that promotes
homosexuality propoganda. The letter says the school is wrong for
performing a play about Matthew Shepard.
Leaving this teen questioning -- Ryan Boylan: "How could they be so
ignorant?"
Patrick Boylan: "First thing I thought was God, this is religious terrorism."
Patrick Boylan is Ryan's father, but he is also a member of the Nevada Board of Education: "Sure, they have
a right to do what they want on public streets and all that stuff. It just doesn't seem right to scare the
children."
Voice of Shirley Phelps-Roper: "Those children don't have any fear of God. What's to be imitated. They think
they're infallible and invincible."
Stephen Clark, Las Vegas Academy: "One thing I'm communicating across to them is, 'I don't want to validate
what they're doing.'"
Stephen Clark is the school's principal and he's been fielding calls from parents and counseling students.
"Some of the values we hold dear -- integrity, compassion, respect," he said.
Clark is asking students and parents to stick to what they're doing and ignore the protestors when they arrive
next Wednesday.
Principal Stephen Clark: "Of course I'll have all my administrative staff, my support staff, we'll have teachers