A federal civil rights complaint alleging a Salt Lake City Boy Scout pack was barred from\u00a0meeting at Mountain View Elementary due to the national gay membership controversy has\u00a0been resolved.<\/p>\n

Salt Lake City School District officials invited the Cub Scouts to meet at the school, defusing\u00a0the conflict and ending a federal investigation into the complaint, according to a Sept. 18
\nletter from the Department of Education\u2019s Office for Civil Rights.
\nThe district\u2019s response \u201ccorrects any prior misapplication of the district\u2019s policy,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Salt Lake City school board member Michael Clara filed the complaint in March after two\u00a0parents complained that about 30 Cub Scouts were blocked from meeting at the school due\u00a0to the Boy Scouts of America\u2019s ban on gay members and leaders.<\/p>\n

The principal told the\u00a0parents he wasn\u2019t sure whether the ban violated the district\u2019s anti-bias policy.\u00a0The organization has since voted to accept gay youth, though gay leaders are still barred.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to level out and let people from different perspectives and beliefs to come into the school and help our kids,\u201d Clara said.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for the district said that the principal had declined to involve the pack in an after-school program because the pack\u2019s
\nstaffing levels weren\u2019t consistent, in addition to the potential bias issue.\u00a0\u201cWe did explain to them that they can still meet in the school like any other group can,\u201d said Jason Olsen. \u201cThey were never kicked\u00a0out of the school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clara disputed that version of events, saying that the Scouts were told at one point that they\u2019d have to pay a rental fee, but said he
\nsupported the resolution of the complaint.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a victory for our community,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe that Cub Scouts can exist here and there\u2019s no threat to either the LGBT [lesbian,\u00a0gay, bisexual and transgender] community or to the Cub Scouts.\u201d<\/p>\n

lwhitehurst@sltrib.com
\nTwitter: @lwhitehurst<\/p>\n