The removal of rainbow flags and other messages from Lake Central classrooms is drawing backlash from students and parents.
Superintendent Dr. Larry Veracco asked teachers to remove pride flags and items supporting Black Lives Matter, after a parent's complaint about a classroom poster prompted a legal review. He says he firmly believes the decorations were meant to make students feel welcome, but case law and guidance from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's office don't appear to allow them.
"And so the conclusion you draw from the analysis in Indiana is that all messages must be considered for political or religious content. You don't have to go too far west to get a different message. That pride flag in Illinois is not considered a political message. In Oregon, it's not considered a political message. In Indiana, it is," Veracco said during Monday's school board meeting.
But students and parents argue that rainbow flags are not a political message, but a human rights message. The school board heard emotional testimony from several students who said the flags represented a safe space where LGBTQ students could confide in an adult, often while they experienced bullying from their classmates.
Parent Jillian Schranz called the decorations' removal an overreaction to complaints from a minority of parents. "Our students' identities are not inherently political. Inclusive displays such as pride flags or statements of support for secular human rights, which reflect the identities that make up our school population, are not political. It's the parents in the community who are playing politics, and it's my kids and our kids that are caught in the middle," Schranz told board members.
Clark Middle School Teacher Lauren Bridgeman, speaking on behalf of the Lake Central Teachers' Association, said limiting classroom decorations threatens teachers' efforts towards inclusion. "No matter our students' race, sexuality or gender, we will never allow one student to feel marginalized, left out or unsupported because as teachers, it is our mission to make every student feel valued and heard. And we will continue to do that as teachers in this corporation, regardless of what unjust demands may come our way," Bridgeman added.
Leno Miller, meanwhile, felt there was a specific reason the issue is being raised now. "We all know why we're here. We're here because there's an election in three weeks and no other reason. These signs have been up in classrooms for years," Miller said.
Going forward, Superintendent Veracco said he's asking principals to find other ways to support vulnerable students who saw the decorations as a "welcome mat." "Our staff probably needs to be more diligent than ever to not let kids get picked on for any reason: the color of their skin, the way they dress, the color of their hair, they're too tall, they're too short, they're too skinny, too heavy," Veracco added.
He said he's also willing to recommend that the school board add stronger language about inclusion into its policies.
