Anti-gay T-shirt is just bullying

Regarding the March 3 “Court upholds students’ right to wear anti-gay shirt” article, I was deeply saddened and profoundly disappointed by the U.S. Court of Appeals decision to uphold a ruling that stated that students at Neuqua Valley High School should have been allowed to wear a T-shirt featuring the words “Be Happy, not Gay.”

I bristled when the article went on to state that School District 204 could not prove that the vile, homophobic shirt would cause a “substantial disruption” in the school day. I ask what about the substantial disruption in the life of a gay student that day?

I posit that this T-shirt wearing is no different from bullying, which is rampant in our schools. Why would the courts choose to side with this culture of cruelty? I am at a loss as to try to understand how the courts arrived at this decision.

I think it would be appropriate for all schools to ban all T-shirts with any type of writing on it.

Judi Tepe

Elgin