Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Tim Davis, Jamey Hansen, Tim Frerking, Chris Mende and Keesia Wirt.

The Des Moines school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to define the term “sexual orientation” in the district’s anti-discrimination hiring policy. The new wording defines sexual orientation as “homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism and heterosexuality,” and comes from the recent Supreme Court case Romer vs. Evans.

While many groups favored this action, including the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, others such as the Concerned Parents of Des Moines asked the board to delete the term “sexual orientation” from the policy believing it gave special rights to homosexuals.

We applaud the Des Moines school board in their clarification of wording that helps to uphold civil rights in hiring practices. Those who oppose this action do not understand the purpose of the wording.

The purpose is not to give special rights to homosexuals. The schools already have a policy which does not discriminate against sexual orientation so this rewording does not change much concerning hiring of people who happen to be homosexual.

The purpose of the action is to define what is considered to be the sexual orientations contained within the term “sexual orientations” so that it does not protect illegal acts which could harm students or faculty.

For example, necrophilia might have been considered a sexual orientation under the old wording. The new definition allows the school to not hire those persons who have committed such illegal acts.

This is for the good of everybody.