West Palm Beach, Florida, resident Jeffrey Woodard may have a difficult battle ahead in his lawsuit against his former high school. Possessing neither drugs nor weapons, the 18-year-old Woodard was instead expelled for the crime of being gay.

Trouble began when a teacher at the Jupiter Christian School pulled Woodard out of Bible class and asked him if he was gay. Woodard said he was. After the discussion, a school rep called Woodard's mother, Carol Gload, to tell her Jeffrey would be excluded from an upcoming retreat unless she and her son came in to discuss her son's crime. According to Gload, the school gave Jeffrey the options of going for counselling, leaving school of his own volition or being expelled. When the Woodards refused the first two options, the school served Jeffrey the third.

Though the Woodards have taken legal action, the cards are stacked against them. In Florida, discriminating against sexual orientation doesn't break any laws.

» Scott Saxon