(McLean, Virginia) The School board in Arlington County, Virginia has agreed to allow a so-called ex-gay group to post material for high school students claiming homosexuality can be reversed.
It will, however be left to individual schools to accept the material if they have areas where other groups can post fliers.
The school system's decision settles a lawsuit by the group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays, or PFOX.
The organization went to court claiming the school district had discriminated against it by refusing to distribute flyers. Arlington County Schools said it had a policy of turning down the distribution of material in high schools from all groups, although the policy was not in writing.
The school board has since put its policy of not accepting "backpack fliers" in writing, but the lawsuit continued.
PFOX says it will now press to be able to distribute its material in area middle schools.
The agreement reached between the two sides to end the legal action gives PFOX the same access given to other groups and says the group can submit fliers for distribution to middle and elementary school students if it wishes.
A PFOX spokesperson said it is not planning on targeting younger students at this time.
The school system said that it is not making a judgment on the message contained in the PFOX material.
The American Psychological Association last year issued a stinging rebuke of the so-called ex-gay movement.
"There is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed," it said in a statement.
The APA in 1974 ceased listing homosexuality as a mental disorder.
In June three former leaders of an international ministry that counsels gays to change their sexual orientation apologized for their efforts, saying that though they acted sincerely, their message had caused isolation, shame and fear.