Go to http://www.acadiananow.com/news/html/ for the news articles Place gallet gay in search field for the articles. Paul P.C. Piazza <mailto:ppiazza@theadvertiser.com>/The Lafayette Daily Advertiser Lafayette School Board President David Thibodaux, left, and Superintendent James Easton listen Tuesday during a School Board work session. LAFAYETTE -- The superintendent of the Lafayette Parish School District said Tuesday that a 7-year-old child was not disciplined for using the word "gay" to describe his mother and vowed that the district would not apologize. "An apology is not due," Superintendent James Easton said Tuesday. "The child was not singled out because his parent is gay." The American Civil Liberties Union publicly demanded in a letter Monday that district officials apologize to the boy and his mother and hinted at filing a lawsuit if the district didn't comply. Sharon Huff, the child's parent, said she contacted the ACLU after her son came home with disciplinary reports stating he was overheard saying "bad words" to another student. "We have a high regard for freedom of expression, and we value diversity," Easton said. "It would surprise me if that accusation is accurate." He also strongly denied that the child was made to write repeatedly, "I will never use the word 'gay' in school again," as described in the ACLU complaint. The ACLU stood behind its statement. Easton said the child, who is a second-grader at Ernest Gallet Elementary School, shouldn't be punished for using a term that describes sexual orientation. The Daily Advertiser is not identifying the child because he is a juvenile. "Of course not. He can't be disciplined for using the term 'gay,' " he said, adding that "he could be disciplined for describing bedroom antics, something that was personal, that took place at home." Easton also said Tuesday that the child was actually sent to a behavioral clinic a week later because he was disrupting the classroom and not completing a classroom assignment. "I can't imagine an adult saying that to a child, let alone a 10-year teacher," Easton said. "There are some other issues here." Huff said no one informed her that her child was disruptive, and there was no paperwork indicating he was being troublesome in class. Documents sent home to the mother, which were prepared by teacher Terry T. Bethea, stated that the boy told another child his "mom is gay" and explained that meant "when a girl likes a girl." She wrote that it was not acceptable in her classroom. In a section asking the teacher to describe the behavior, she didn't indicate that the child was using profane language or otherwise disrupting the classroom. She marked "other," and clarified if with remarks about the child's reference to his mother's sexual orientation. The report, dated Nov. 11, does say it was the second time the child had been cited for inappropriate behavior, and Assistant Principal Nicholas Thomas recommended the child attend a one-hour behavior class the following week. A note written on a student behavior report also stated, "He explained to another child that you are gay (underlined twice) and what being gay means." Bethea, who came to the door of her home Tuesday evening, referred comment to Gallet Elementary Principal Virginia Bonvillain. Bonvillain did not return telephone calls seeking comment. School officials also said that Huff did not show up for a parent/teacher conference to discuss her son's behavior. Huff said a conference was set for Nov. 12, the day after her son was initially disciplined, but when she arrived at the school she was told the assistant principal was out sick. "They said he had the flu," Huff said. "He called me later and didn't know if I had showed up or not." The conference was never rescheduled, she said. Easton confirmed the conference did not take place. The superintendent said he expected the principal to call the parent to talk to her about the incident. Easton said early Tuesday that he couldn't explain why the district did not have the documentation to support the real reasons for the child's discipline. He later said, before an afternoon workshop, that Huff hadn't been given the full report. He said he couldn't release the additional documents to the media, because they involved the discipline of a child and would violate child privacy laws. School board members said Tuesday that they want residents to wait before passing judgment. And with the exception of one member, they fully supported the administration and its handling of the incident. "I feel like any discussion by a child of a parent's sexual orientation is inappropriate for children that age," School Board President David Thibodaux said. "I would not want my children discussing sexuality with their friends." Board member Ricky Hardy, however, said the school should make amends. "There is no question about it. They should apologize to the mother and the kid and they should do it publicly," Hardy said. "It was an adult mistake and we should be responsible enough to make the right choices." See also: Washington Post Article <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29820-2003Dec2.html>