The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sued Nassau County Public Schools today to force the district to allow students to form a Gay-Straight Alliance on campus.

Students Hannah Page tried to form the club at Yulee Middle last year, and Page and Jacob Brock, both of whom are gay, tried to form the club at Yulee High School this year, but the district refused the requests.

An ACLU attorney has said the students wanted to form the club in part because they said other students have threatened to beat them up. The alliance is dedicated to ending bullying and harassment against students who are gay or perceived to be gay, according to the ACLU.

After the ACLU contacted the district in a letter Nov. 7, the School Board amended its administrative rules on Nov. 18 to require all student organizations to have a charter or constitution, plus parental permission for all student participants.

The district also updated its policies, developed in 1990, to make sure the language covered various other issues, including anti-hazing and staff supervision, district officials said.

All after-school activities were temporarily suspended late last year, officials said, but the district allowed clubs associated with curriculum, such as the National Honor Society, to meet again after the clubs had met the new requirements.

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to force Yulee High School to allow club meetings. District officials couldn't be reached for immediate comment.

Check back with jacksonville.com and Wednesday's Times-Union for more information.

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