# Superintendent Patrick Dubbs of Wayne Local School Ohio is a bully and a coward **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 29, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491 "2012-05-29T23:14:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/1 "2012-05-29T23:14:03Z")
Quick background: Gay student wears a shirt featuring a rainbow-colored Jesus fish with the logo ‘Jesus was not a homophobe.’ on LGBT Day of Silence April 2011. Is told to turn the shirt inside out. Complies. Wears the shirt again. Mom is called and student is told to remove the shirt or face suspension. Complies. In the fall, _asks_ if he can wear the shirt and is told no. Lambda Legal steps in and sends a letter to the school district. > [@Troglodyte hateful fucknut administration](#): > > the message communicated by the student’s T-shirt is **sexual in nature** and therefore **indecent** and inappropriate in a school setting. Wayne Local School District Board of Education had the right to limit clothing with **sexual slogans** , especially in light what was then a highly charged atmosphere, in order to protect its students and enhance the educational environment. Consequently, the high school principal was well within the bounds of his authority to request that the student remove his T-shirt and refrain from wearing the T-shirt in the future. Emphasis added. Lambda sues and (surprise) wins. School district’s insurer is out $20K (plus I’m sure the District had their own legal costs) resulting, I’m sure, in higher insurance fees. Superintendent Dubbs (COWARD) doesn’t return AP calls, but had earlier told the Student Press Law Center that the lawsuit was a surprise: > [@Bully and Coward Extraordinaire Dubbs](#): > > I would even question the tactics used because we were never told we were being sued,” Dubbs was quoted as saying by SPLC. “Our feeling was this never had to go to federal court. All of our actions **all along** , once we became aware of Lambda Legal, were that we never wanted to go to court. Again, emphasis added. Translation: “We just thought this was one little poor faggot and that we could scare him straight (or at least into the closet). We had no idea that the perverts were organized! Now we’ve got this bill to pay. Plus, do you realize how much harder this is going to make things for us and all the other Cowardly and Bullying Superintendents/Principals around the country?” Superintendent Dubbs and the Principal involved should never again be involved in the education of children. Link to story: [http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/\_news/2012/05/29/11939795-teen-wins-right-to-wear-jesus-is-not-a-homophobe-t-shirt-to-school?lite/](http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/29/11939795-teen-wins-right-to-wear-jesus-is-not-a-homophobe-t-shirt-to-school?lite/) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/2 "2012-05-30T00:06:25Z")
Ascribing motive is probably not the best of ideas. The principal may or may not be a homophobe. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/3 "2012-05-30T00:25:48Z")
I agree with this Pitting. “Once we became aware of Lambda Legal, we wanted to avoid court.” It is hard to read that any other way than: when we just thought we were facing a kid and his mom, we were willing to push them around, but the moment they brought in some actual authority who knew the law, we wanted nothing to do with that! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/4 "2012-05-30T00:50:31Z")
Nothing to say but ‘great OP’ - beautiful combination of legitimate outrage, quality research, with some clever (ironic) name calling thrown in for a bonus. Nice job! ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/5 "2012-05-30T02:03:16Z")
Well. :o Goodness. Thanks, folks! **Bricker** , any chance you could find a copy of the actual filings and opinion in the case? Not having West Law, my google-fu is weak and coming up dry. **Chefguy** , actually I never called either Superintendent Dubbs or the Principal homophobes. I said they were bullies (and cowards) and I stand by that assessment. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/6 "2012-05-30T02:45:36Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Well. :o Goodness. Thanks, folks! > > **Bricker** , any chance you could find a copy of the actual filings and opinion in the case? Not having West Law, my google-fu is weak and coming up dry. > > **Chefguy** , actually I never called either Superintendent Dubbs or the Principal homophobes. I said they were bullies (and cowards) and I stand by that assessment. There’s no opinion, as such, because this was a settlement, not a trial. [Here is the court’s order entering judgement.](http://www.scribd.com/doc/94435299/tshirt) There are other documents are available through PACER, but that’s a fee service. Luckily, they are also available on the Lambda Legal site (PDF documents): [Letter response from school’s counsel to Lambda Legal’s letter.](http://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/couch_oh_20120224_ltr-from-school.pdf) [Original complaint.](http://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/couch_oh_20120403_complaint-us-district-court-southern-district-of-oh-western-division.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/7 "2012-05-30T03:21:45Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > [Letter response from school’s counsel to Lambda Legal’s letter.](http://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/couch_oh_20120224_ltr-from-school.pdf) I’ll bet Deter’s law school is hoping he does not have his diploma on the wall. What sort of idiot “respectively” disagrees? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/8 "2012-05-30T03:47:07Z")
Are you supporting that there’s something in errantly wrong about malapropisms ? That they refry poorly upon one’s perspired intelligence ? That a bannister should watch his language with more circumambulation ? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/9 "2012-05-30T11:03:26Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > There’s no opinion, as such, because this was a settlement, not a trial. > > [Here is the court’s order entering judgement.](http://www.scribd.com/doc/94435299/tshirt) > > There are other documents are available through PACER, but that’s a fee service. Luckily, they are also available on the Lambda Legal site (PDF documents): > > [Letter response from school’s counsel to Lambda Legal’s letter.](http://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/couch_oh_20120224_ltr-from-school.pdf) > > [Original complaint.](http://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/couch_oh_20120403_complaint-us-district-court-southern-district-of-oh-western-division.pdf) Fantastic! Thank you. I’d love to see Couch’s letter to the school district referenced in the complaint. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/10 "2012-05-30T11:19:28Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I agree with this Pitting. “Once we became aware of Lambda Legal, we wanted to avoid court.” > > It is hard to read that any other way than: when we just thought we were facing a kid and his mom, we were willing to push them around, but the moment they brought in some actual authority who knew the law, we wanted nothing to do with that! And he also seems to imply that filing a lawsuit is an unfair tactic. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/11 "2012-05-30T11:51:47Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > And he also seems to imply that filing a lawsuit is an unfair tactic. Well it is! I mean, after all, Dubbs and Gebhardt had already offered to let the poor little misguided soul wear his devil shirt one day a year! (LGBT Silence Day). Most interesting to me in the documents Bricker posted was the assertion that Gebhardt (the Principal) originally nixed the shirt as a SOCAS issue based on its religious message! Wayne Local must have quickly realized what a loser that was going to be and switched to the sexual thing later. Wonder if they’ve ever had or allowed to be promoted one of those “virginity pledge” events. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/12 "2012-05-30T13:21:49Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Most interesting to me in the documents Bricker posted was the assertion that Gebhardt (the Principal) originally nixed the shirt as a SOCAS issue based on its religious message! Wayne Local must have quickly realized what a loser that was going to be and switched to the sexual thing later. Wonder if they’ve ever had or allowed to be promoted one of those “virginity pledge” events. Now, see, talking about virginity means the **opposite** of talking about sex! Talking about not being a homophobe means you’re talking about sex, because that’s all that gays are about. Understand now? I think I sprained my brain, making those mental leaps… ouch. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/13 "2012-05-30T13:59:12Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I’ll bet Deter’s law school is hoping he does not have his diploma on the wall. What sort of idiot “respectively” disagrees? [Northern Kentucky University](http://www.erflegal.com/attorney-profiles/deters.aspx) is not exactly the Harvard of the South. That’s probably a transcription error, though. What I want to know is who the hell uses footnotes in a letter? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/14 "2012-05-30T14:01:06Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What I want to know is who the hell uses footnotes in a letter? It’s fairly common in legal communications. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/15 "2012-05-30T14:06:14Z")
That a public school superintendent could be a bully and a coward is shocking! The next thing you’ll tell me is that students are bullies and cowards too! ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/16 "2012-05-30T14:31:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What I want to know is who the hell uses footnotes in a letter? They’re great in love letters. You can make all manner of promises, and then disclaim them in the fine print. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/17 "2012-05-30T14:34:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > [Northern Kentucky University](http://www.erflegal.com/attorney-profiles/deters.aspx) is not exactly the Harvard of the South. That’s probably a transcription error, though. > > What I want to know is who the hell uses footnotes in a letter? It’s not even the Brown of the South… ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/18 "2012-05-30T14:34:08Z")
And can I just say that ‘Maverick Couch’ is a ridiculous name? Because it is. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/19 "2012-05-30T14:34:18Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > There’s no opinion, as such, because this was a settlement, not a trial. A settlement in which the plaintiff was awarded judgment. Ouch. Generally, when you settle, you do it to avoid having to submit to judgment. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491/20 "2012-05-30T14:47:30Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s fairly common in legal communications. I’ve never seen it in 7 years of reviewing legal communications. It doesn’t make sense in this context, anyway. The point of a footnote is to avoid having parenthetical citations take over a page, but when explaining a rule, the reader’s eye has to jump up and down repeatedly in order to determine which case each segment stems from. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superintendent-patrick-dubbs-of-wayne-local-school-ohio-is-a-bully-and-a-coward/623491.md?page=2)