The State ran this piece today on Principal Eddie Walker, who tendered his resignation (effective at the end of next year) because of the formation of a Gay/Straight Alliance group at Irmo High School. The story devotes exactly half a sentence to those who support the GSA. See if you can find it.
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Irmo principal draws support
Many back Eddie Walker, who’s leaving school because gay-straight club violates beliefs
By JOY L. WOODSON – jwoodson@thestate.com
While Irmo High principal Eddie Walker still is not talking about his resignation announced nearly a week ago, many in the community are speaking out for him.
Support has been emerging since Walker announced in a letter that he would step down at the end of the 2008-09 school year because a gay-straight club being formed on campus was against his religious and professional beliefs.
Since then, there have been prayer meetings, groups launched on social networking Web sites and — in a strong showing earlier this week — a rally before the Lexington-Richland 5 school board, which included rounds of applause for the man who has led Irmo High since 2005.
Walker has declined repeatedly to talk with The State about his resignation, saying in an e-mail as recently as Wednesday: “I feel my initial e-mail, when read in its entirety, says everything I intended to say.”
His supporters say his refusals for media interviews aren’t surprising. The man they know isn’t swayed from his morals, and he doesn’t apologize for them.
“He has such integrity, and he’s such a great guy, and he loves his students,” said Megan Brasington, 17, a senior at Irmo High. “Those who love Mr. Walker all love Mr. Walker, and they can’t say a bad thing about him.”
She recalled a time when he listened to her mother’s objections to a summer reading book. Walker read it and later removed the book from the reading list, she said.