RFH Student Hopes to 'Make a Difference for Others' with LGBT Message

The Central Jersey Chapter of GLSEN (Gay Straight and Lesbian Education Network) recently presented a unique opportunity to local students, and one from Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) embraced it.

When GLSEN hosted an open conversation between New Jersey students and former Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice to air on 20/20, Local Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) advisors were asked by GLSEN to put a call out to their student members to participate.

So, no sooner did GSA advisor and RFH art teacher Kate Okeson put out the call for a student to head over to the forum at Hoops recreational facility on Nov. 9 than someone jumped at the chance.

That student was RFH senior Kate Sherman.

"I thought it was terrific when I heard that Mike Rice had reached out to the GLSEN network," said Sherman, a GSA member, in a release. "I felt that he was making an honest effort, and that it was important for as many students from New Jersey as possible to show up and present their opinions."

Rice was the head men's basketball coach at Rutgers University when footage aired by the ESPN Sports Network's Outside the Lines program showed him throwing chairs at his players and assaulting them verbally with anti-gay slurs.

The program aired on April 2 and precipitated a public outcry. Rice was fired the next day.

On the morning of Nov. 9, the bleachers at Hoops were quickly filled with students from area high schools including Neptune, Monmouth Regional and South Brunswick, eager to question Rice.

A crew filmed as Rice addressed the crowd, admitting that he had made a mistake and assuring them that he was dedicated to a course of improvement. He told the students that he was anxious to hear that they had to say, and asked if they had questions for him to answer.

"It was a really terrific group of kids," said Sherman, who noted that a transgendered player on a male basketball team as well as a student government leader from a local high school were among those who spoke with Rice.

"Rice tried to explain that he used the language to get his players riled up, and both of those students noted that there are far more useful and less hurtful ways to get the job done," said Sherman.

Sherman confronted Rice about how she felt he was shirking his responsibilities as a mentor and supporter of his players.

"I told him that by using the language that he did, and by acting in an abusive manner, he truly put his players in a difficult position," said Sherman. "Coaches are supposed to be a source of support for their players, and his behavior put them between a rock and a hard place."

Sherman noted that Rice listened intently to her opinion and seemed contrite about his actions.

"I explained that he risked alienating not only his players but a significant portion of the student body as well," Sherman noted.

Although her segment did not air on 20/20, Sherman was buoyed by her experience.

"I applied my gut feelings to the situation, and realized that perhaps my words would make a difference for someone else," she said. "How many 17-year-olds get the opportunity to do something like that?"

Sherman said she was grateful for Okeson's encouragement to voice her true feelings at the forum.

"GSA has had a huge impact on my thinking, and I feel strongly about being an ally and believing that everyone is equal" she said. "I admire GSA for its support of the LGBT community, and I think that it could really be renamed the Human Equality Persistence Club."

Okeson expressed admiration for Sherman's attendance at the event, and for her astute comments.

"I believe in the power and directness of our youth speaking out on issues that affect them," said Okeson. "I am grateful that Kate's voice is one that contributed to the conversation."

Sherman, who has been a member of GSA since her freshman year, also participates in the RFH Environmental Club. She is an accomplished flute player and a member of the Marching, Jazz, and Symphonic Bands at RFH.

A 17-year-old resident of Fair Haven, she plans to pursue the study of art.

Sherman is the daughter of Patricia Quigley and Todd Sherman.