PROVO, Utah (AP) – The Provo City School District is considering a new policy on school clubs following approval of a Gay-Straight Alliance club at Provo High School.

The club received approval last week, Superintendent Randy Merrill said.

At least one district board member questions whether such clubs should be allowed.

Merrill said Principal Sam Ray’s questions about whether state and federal law allowed the clubs prompted the district to draft a policy similar to that in the Granite School District.

It would require anyone who wants to form a club to apply to the district. Parental consent would be required for non-curricular clubs. The policy would not allow a club “deemed vulgar and/or lewd and therefore is inconsistent with the fundamental values of public education” or that “could subject students to harassment or persecution.”

A club application could be denied to “maintain boundaries of social appropriate behavior.”

“We did not have a district policy on clubs, so because of that we decided to find out what state guidelines were, talk to other districts, to get a policy together,” said Greg Hudnall, director of student services.

The proposed policy cites state law that allows school districts to prevent the formation of clubs that “involve human sexuality.”

The policy also would prevent clubs that “advocate or approve sexual activity outside of marriage, or involve presentations in violation of laws or regulations governing sex education or privacy rights of individuals or families.”

Merrill said nothing in the proposed policy would prevent the Provo High club from forming, because the federal Equal Access Act allows such groups. The act requires schools that receive federal funding, and allow non-curricular groups, to treat all non-curricular clubs equally.

Board of Education Vice President Sandy Packard said she thinks the policy would disallow the club. She said she hoped to get some legal clarification because while state law does not appear to allow the club, the Equal Access Act protects it.