Brody's Notes... Gay Student Denied $40K Scholarship Award Presentation At Catholic High School Awards Ceremony

Keaton Fuller via the Eychaner Foundation

By Brody Levesque | CLINTON, IA – Prince of Peace Catholic School is refusing to allow openly gay senior Keaton Fuller to receive the Des Moines based Eychaner Foundation's Matthew Shepard Scholarship at his school awards ceremony May 20th, after the school confirmed the award could be presented by a Scholarship Committee Member two months ago.

The Matthew Shepard Scholarship grants $40,000 to an openly Lesbian, Gay, Bi, or Transgendered high school student who will be attending the University of Iowa. According to Eychaner Foundation Executive Director Michael Bowser, Fuller won the scholarship based on his academic work as well as his efforts to reduce homophobia at school and in his community.

Iowa’s Matthew Shepard Scholarship is a program of the Eychaner Foundation which invests in distinguished Iowa high school students who are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Fuller and his parents Randy and Patricia said that he was encouraged to apply by the Catholic high School and that Prince of Peace also issued a signed statement that a Committee Member would be allowed to present the award to Fuller at the ceremony if he was selected for the scholarship.

Executive Director Michael Bowser said, “We were pleased that Prince of Peace promised to support all of their students. We had faith that their written agreement would mean something.”

Overruling the school officials, the Catholic Diocese of Davenport said Monday a school staff member will present the scholarship at the assembly but Diocesan policy bars any organization which promotes a position contrary to the Catholic church teachings, in this case a group that promotes equal rights for gays and lesbians, from giving school presentations.