LAGUNA BEACH : City to Renew Scouting Pact, Despite Gay Ban

The city will renew its contract with the Boy Scouts of America and its Police Explorer program, despite the scouting group’s refusal to admit openly gay people as leaders or members.

The Police Department, however, will include with the annual agreement a letter stating it will not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

The city, which has a law forbidding such discrimination, has been in conflict with the scouting group over the policy for the past year.

Last May, the City Council appointed a task force to study the problem and to lobby the Boy Scouts to change their policy. This week, the task force reported back to the council, saying the issue will probably be resolved by pending court cases.

Until then, the task force recommended the continuation of the program, which it described as “extraordinarily valuable.” The council unanimously agreed.

“Long term, it remains our hope that the courts will find the Boy Scouts’ policy of discrimination against homosexuals unlawful, and that it will become unnecessary for the City of Laguna Beach to attach qualifying language to its charter agreement with the Boy Scouts,” said Theresa O’Hare, who co-chairs the task force.

The group had studied alternatives, including the possibility of participating in a program set up by the City of San Diego, which disbanded its Explorer program because of the Boy Scouts policy. That idea was rejected.

In a memo to the council, Police Chief Neil J. Purcell Jr. said there have been no complaints regarding discrimination based on sexual orientation in the 22 years the program has operated in this city.