Students Threaten Retaliation Over Rumored “Gay List”

School increases security, attempts to quell disturbance

Police stepped up patrols at Oak Park River Forest High School Friday after the superintendent and principal issued an alert to parents.

In a letter addressed to OPRHFS, the administration wrote, "OPRFHS is aware of rumors circulating this week that a male student was thinking about disclosing private, personal information about other male students today...and that those students, in turn, were preparing to retaliate."

Conversations with more than a dozen students generated a narrative similar to the story told to NBC 5 by one junior, who asked to remain anonymous. The student was reportedly threatening to out other gay students.

"There was just a list that this openly gay kid wrote at our school and he wrote about other gay people at our school," she said. "I know he's gotten threats about it because it made people really mad."

The OPRHFS letter informed parents that staff at the school intervened with the identified students and they "believe these efforts have been successful; however, the initial rumors have taken on a life of their own."

An administrator denied the existence of a list outing gay students.

The incident resurrects a troubling chapter at the school, when an ugly list surfaced in January ranking girls looks. Seventeen Magazine's November edition, out this week, featured an article about the ugly list.

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