Photo: Hot Global News

When openly gay student Blair Gaboury submitted a quote to his high school's yearbook, he didn't expect rejection. Gaboury, who attends Denis Morris Catholic High School in Ontario, Canada, wanted the quote under his photo to read: 

"It's brighter outside the closet."

But a staff member rejected his submission. Outraged, Gaboury looked to Facebook and Twitter for support, and reached out to the The Ellen DeGeneres Show with an open letter outlining what had happened. 

In his letter to Ellen, Gaboury said: 

"I was told by a staff member that I would be embarrassed of myself for doing so … and that I should not want to be remembered as 'the gay kid in highschool [sic].'"

The letter went viral on social media, motivating the school's administration to act. After more than 400 retweets and hundreds of comments, Danny DiLorenzo, the principal of Denis Morris, overturned the verdict. He approved the quote for the yearbook.

However, contesting Gaboury's version of events, DiLorenzo claimed that the quote was rejected because it was initially submitted anonymously. Moreover, the Niagara Catholic District School Board suspended Gaboury for three days due to "inappropriate quotes about staff and administration on social media.”

John Crocco, the school board's education director, emphasized that the quote wasn't an issue. He stood by DiLorenzo's claim that the school doesn't accept anonymous comments submitted to the yearbook. 

Speaking to a prominent local newspaper, St. Catharines Standard, Crocco went on to criticize Gaboury's use of social media to raise attention to his concerns:

"Where students want to voice their concerns, there’s a proper way to do that ... If they’re (doing it) in a constructive, respectful manner, then that’s not something the schools would get involved in." 

Since the incident, Gaboury has stood by his claim of discrimination. He posted a follow-up to his original letter and asserts the school is twisting the truth.  

H/T: St. Catharines Standard