Ruling Favors Lesbian Couple (Portsmouth Herald)
By Jesse J. DeConto
Originally published in the Portsmouth Herald, December 5, 2001
DOVER — Two females will be recognized in the 2002 Dover High School yearbook as the class sweethearts.
DHS Principal Robert Pedersen had declared the same-sex couple ineligible, but Superintendent Armand LaSelva on Tuesday affirmed the seniors' vote.
The class elected Nicole Salisbury and Ashley Lagasse, both 17, as their No. 1 couple. The two girls have been dating since September 1999.
After the election—in which the students voted for classmates in categories such as "nicest eyes" and "sassiest smile"—the high school yearbook committee discovered that the same-sex couple had won the "class sweethearts" category.
But Pedersen said since the ballot required the seniors to vote for one male and one female in each of 20 categories, the sweetheart vote was invalid.
Pedersen's official position prompted varied responses from the Seacoast community.
In an e-mail to the Portsmouth Herald, one local resident praised Pedersen for "adult leadership" and for "keeping the rules as they were meant to be."
Another reader, though, chided Pedersen: "That principal doesn't sound very educated to me. Maybe someday he'll learn."
Pedersen suggested honoring the second-place couple instead, but the yearbook committee decided to drop the sweethearts category altogether.
On Tuesday, though, LaSelva upheld the original results, which means the lesbian pair will have their picture together in the yearbook. Nicole and Ashley received 77 out of 130 votes cast. The next couple—a boy and a girl—received 31 votes.
"The intent was quite clear," said LaSelva. "When the two girls received 77 votes out of 130 votes, I think that's a rather significant mandate.
"Even though there was confusion in the balloting process and the categories listed on the ballot, it was determined that the intent of the class should stand," wrote LaSelva in a memo to Pedersen on Tuesday morning. "The senior class members spoke."
School officials had considered holding another vote on the "class sweethearts," this time being more clear about who was and was not eligible.
But, said LaSelva, "to reballot at this time would be absolutely ludicrous. I certainly do not believe in trying to halt the process of any kind of democratic procedure.
"I don't believe I have the right to throw out the ballot, because we didn't have any 'hanging chads' on this one."
LaSelva said he has been asked if the seniors' votes may have been a practical joke, but he said he doubted that. Even if it were not a serious vote, he said, the results should stand. "I don't think it was joke," he said.
After learning of the superintendent's verdict Tuesday afternoon, Nicole said she appreciated all the support she and Ashley had received from students and teachers.
"Everyone's been accepting. Maybe the kids know more than the adults do these days," said Nicole, a Dover resident.
The teen said the controversy did not spoil the fun of being voted class couple. "Maybe it's even better, because in the process we created awareness," she said. "I've made a lot of new friends."
