Gay student says Florida school is stopping his run for student leadership

A 17-year-old gay student who was suspended for leading protests at his high school against Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” law says school administrators are now stopping him from running for senior-class president.

Because of the disciplinary infractions that he received for leading the protests at Flagler Palm Coast High School in March, school administrators are preventing him for running for office, Jack Petocz said in a letter posted on Twitter on Tuesday. The school is about 30 miles north of Daytona Beach.

“I am continuing to be punished for standing up for my identity and against widespread hatred,” Petocz wrote. “We shouldn’t be subject to abuse both in Tallahassee and at-home.”

In an email, school district spokesman Jason Wheeler said Flagler Schools was not permitted to speak about individual students’ disciplinary records. Requirements for individual on-campus clubs or organizations are set by the schools or clubs themselves, he said.

“The district has no say in setting those requirements or in how those requirements are enforced,”

Wheeler said.

Petocz is being honored next week with an award at the 2022 PEN America Literary Gala for organizing students to protest against the Florida legislation and fighting book bans. PEN

America is a New Yorkbased nonprofit that advocates for free speech and is made up of novelists, journalists and other writers.

The Florida legislation, signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in March, bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.