Catholic High School Refuses to Allow Gay Scholarship Award

Keaton Fuller, 2012 Awardee Iowa's Gold Matthew Sheperd Scholarship

Gay Student Denied $40,000 Scholarship Presentation

on Monday, 07 May 2012. Posted in Matthew Shepard Scholarship, Press Releases

Press Release

Clinton, Iowa – Prince of Peace Catholic School is refusing to allow senior Keaton Fuller to receive Iowa’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.
Keaton and his parents Randy and Patricia Fuller object to the suggestion that Keaton will not be recognized by the Scholarship Committee for his scholastic achievements and community service at the awards ceremony with his classmates. Keaton is releasing an open letter requesting the school recognize all student awards equally.

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The $40,000 scholarship to the University of Iowa is awarded to Keaton for his scholastic achievement and work reducing homophobia in his school and community as an openly gay student. Keaton learned about the scholarship program, and was encouraged to apply by Prince of Peace. The school also issued a signed statement that a Committee Member would be allowed to present the award to Keaton at the ceremony if he was selected for the scholarship.

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

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