Thus, the civic
debate about sexuality has shifted from the ballot box to the
civil courts, and the rhetoric of individual
liberty has been exchanged for that of
civil rights.
The dispute has been percolating for months, as union leaders, pro-charter groups,
civil liberties advocates, parent leaders, students, teachers and principals have re-framed their ongoing
debate about the quality of the city's schools around the safety of the 1,800 schools run by the Department of Education.