A senior at George Washington High School in Kanawha County is seeking an injunction against GW Principal George Aulenbacher.
Katelyn Campbell claims Aulenbacher threatened her after she spoke to the media about an assembly promoting abstinence-only sex education.
Campbell claimed during a news conference Monday, the students were told the assembly was about STD’s. But she says it was nothing more than an “extremist right wing agenda” presented by nationally known speaker Pam Stenzel and paid for by the group ‘Believe in West Virginia,’ a Christ-centered leadership foundation.
During the assembly Stenzel said the following about a promiscuous boy asking a girl for her hand in marriage. “You say, ‘Marry me. By the way, I have genital warts. You’ll get it too. We’ll both be treated for the rest of our lives. In fact, you’ll probably end up with a radical hysterectomy, cervical cancer and possibly death. But marry me.'”
Campbell opted out of the assembly. But she heard every word Stenzel spoke when she listened back to the speech a friend had recorded on an I-Phone. Campbell was so disturbed, she spoke with both the Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail criticizing the speech and the message it sent to students. She says it was her First Amendment right.
But on Thursday, she was called to the principal’s office where she says Aulenbacher told her, “‘I’m very disappointed in you.” I asked him why? He said, ‘How dare you go to the media without telling me.'”
Campbell says that’s when Aulenbacher made this threat. “How would you feel if I called your college and tell them what a bad character you have and what a backstabber you are?”
Campbell has been accepted to Wellesley. She felt Aulenbacher would make good on his threat.
“Based on his tone, I’m pretty sure the threat was real,” according to Campbell.
She says she left that meeting in tears feeling as if Aulenbacher would retaliate.
Since then, Campbell has retained an attorney and filed the complaint in Kanawha Circuit Court that was released Monday:
“Because he knowingly psychologically abused the student body of George Washington High School, we are demanding his resignation. And in conjunction with his resignation, we would like a letter of apology to the community and the student body of George Washington High School.”
Campbell says she may only be 17 but she still has the right to free speech. In fact, she used it on Monday, appearing live on CNN to talk about the controversy.
MetroNews made calls to both Aulenbacher and Kanawha County Superintendent Dr. Ron Duerring for comment, however, they were not returned.