Kearian Giertz, the Fullerton Union High School student who was promptly pulled from the Mr. Fullerton pageant Tuesday night for supporting gay marriage, has received an apology from Assistant Principal Joe Abell.
Giertz reportedly responded to the question “Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?” by saying “Hopefully, 10 years from now gay marriage will be legal in California.”
That got him kicked out of the annual pageant held for senior boys at the school's Plummer Auditorium.
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While the crowd was still cheering, Abell reportedly walked out and said “Cut him, cut him, cut him.”
Abell publicly apologized to Giertz on Wednesday, and George J. Giokaris, superintendent of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, issued a statement saying “the student's statement made during the Mr. Fullerton contest at Fullerton Union High School (FUHS) on April 3, 2012, regarding the student's future plans and hopes did not violate any school rules.”
The district said Abell believed Giertz's statement was off script and not pre-approved, but went on to say the matter “should have been handled privately with the student by the Assistant Principal.”
The district said that before making the public apology, Abell spoke with Giertz and asked him if it would make the situation worse, or embarrass him.
According to the district, Giertz told Abell “it was OK to make the public apology.”
The district said Abell made the apology at 10:25 a.m. over the school's public address system to “all FUHS students and staff members,” with Abell saying he did not handle the situation appropriately.
Information about how the district will deal with Abell won't be released because it “is a confidential personnel matter,” according to the district.
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