David Davis makes first public statement about Gillman case

BONIFAY - Former Ponce de Leon Principal David Davis made his first public statement about the case Friday night. Davis was guest speaker at a fish fry held at the Holmes County Ag Center.

Davis, who was transferred from principal to teacher at PdL, read a written statement to a large crowd at the event. "I believed it was time to get something out to respond to these outrageous allegations," Davis said.

Davis was the principal at Ponce de Leon High School during a series of incidents that led to a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a Ponce de Leon student, Heather Gillman and her openly gay cousin, identified in court documents as "Jane Doe." The suit alleged that the rights of free speech of the two girls were violated by the Holmes County School District.

Davis was not sued but was a witness in the trial in federal court, where the judge found for the plaintiffs.

Davis issued the following statement to answer allegations about his alleged conduct as principal.

"I have resisted until now responding to the false accusations that were made against me in the Gillman case. I have perhaps naively assumed that no one who knows me and knows my character and conduct would believe the lies that came out of that courtroom.

"However, the accusations have continued and I realize that many people who do not know me have no basis on which to understand that the accusations made against me in court were utterly and completely false.

"The Gillman case was a lawsuit that was filed against the school board. I do not make school board policy. I merely follow it. I was only a witness in this case, not a defendant or a party. Therefore I had absolutely no way to defend myself against the false accusations that were made against me in the courtroom and by the judge.

"The attorneys for the school board were not defending me and so the horrible accusations made against me were never refuted in the trial. I am particularly upset that that I would be falsely accused of lifting children's shirts, of making school policy to hurt children in my school, or of treating children in my school with anything but the greatest respect and care that I feel for every one of them.

"Since I was merely a witness in this lawsuit, it is very difficult for me to find a way to redeem my reputation. I can't appeal the case. I can't sue the attorneys who handled the case for malpractice. I certainly can't sue the judge for slander.

"But I can do this. Let me say publicly today that with the greatest emphasis that I know how to give to this statement, that I absolutely did not ever do the things that I was falsely accused of doing in the courtroom or in the judge's decision.

"Justice was not served that day and I emphatically deny the false charges made against me. I am still reviewing my legal options for redeeming my reputation, but they are frustratingly limited since I was never a party to the Gillman lawsuit, but was merely a witness at the trial.

"I am very disappointed that the school board capitulated to the ACLU in the manner they did and that they did not stand behind in this matter when they clearly know what the truth is."owever