Graduation: Sheboygan Lutheran High School graduates 42 for 2019

Diana Dombrowski | Sheboygan Press

SHEBOYGAN - Nat Werth graduated at the top of his Sheboygan Lutheran High School class but didn't give a speech at graduation Friday like he planned.

Werth said the school's administration, after reading a draft of his speech, removed references about his struggles as a gay student and ones that critiqued biblical scriptures critical of homosexuality as "outdated, mistranslated, or misinterpreted in their respectively Biblical, cultural and historical contexts."

Werth said he told the administrators he would work with them to take the parts out they didn't like and to make the speech something on which they could all agree. But they ultimately told him he wouldn't speak at graduation.

Instead, the class salutatorian delivered an address during the commencement ceremony.

"It was kind of difficult to watch (the salutatorian's) speech without giving my own," Werth said.

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He said it wasn't the first time he ran into issues with the school administration. Last year, he was not allowed to join the dance team even though the coach approved, he said. Meanwhile, Werth said, a female student joined the football team.

Executive Director of Sheboygan Lutheran Paul Gnan declined to speak about Werth's speech or his attempt to join the dance team, saying student and family issues are handled confidentially. He wouldn't confirm if the valedictorian usually gives a speech at graduation, though Werth said that's the case.

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But Gnan did say Lutheran participates in co-op sports teams with other schools. Lutheran, he said, hasn't had a student join a team of a different gender for which they were the lead school.

When asked if Sheboygan Lutheran has any policies on LGBTQ issues, Gnan said the school's policies are based on biblical principles.

Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

"There are policies in our handbook that talk about our faith and our belief system and what it's based on," Gnan said.

A review of the 2018-2019 Parent-Student Handbook did not appear to reference the LGBTQ student population. Gnan said Sheboygan Lutheran doesn't have any LGBTQ student groups.

Gnan said Sheboygan Lutheran abides by Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex.

An expert on the law said the school typically wouldn't be required to allow a male student on a girls' athletic team.

Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Howard Kallem, senior Title IX adviser at Duke University, said the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education has regulations that say schools that have teams for one sex and don't have that team for the other sex would only need to let members of the opposite sex join if athletic opportunities for the excluded sex have been previously limited.

Members of the excluded sex would have to be allowed to join that team, unless it was a contact sport.

Kallem said this is more likely to apply in a situation where a girl wants to try out for a boys team, because athletic opportunities have historically been limited for girls.

As far as restricting a student's speech at graduation, Kallem said the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution only applies to public schools, giving private schools more flexibility when it comes to regulating student speech.

Werth is moving on to Northeastern University in Boston to study entrepreneurship and innovation. He leaves Sheboygan Lutheran with the hope it will be better for future students.

"I want to leave behind a school that won't treat anyone the way that I was treated," Werth said.