Welcome to February, and Black History Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of African Americans’ struggle for freedom and equal opportunity, and celebrating the accomplishments of Black people throughout history.
It is a fitting time to recognize and applaud the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education and its unanimous decision this week to adopt two resolutions supporting the rights of district employees to post flags and other symbols of identity for LGBTQIA2S+, Black, brown, and other nonwhite racial and ethnic identities (Herald, Jan. 29).
LGBTQIA2S stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and two-spirit.” The “+” stands for other sexual orientations and gender identities.
Erika Brown, board vice president, drafted the resolutions this fall with board members after months of consultation with students, staff, the district’s Inclusive Excellence Guiding Coalition, the DHS Black student Alliance, lawyers, the NAACP, ACLU and other stakeholders.
Even though gay pride flags have been present for years in some 9-R classrooms without complaint, the fracas began at the outset of the school year when one parent alleged the pride and Black Lives Matter flags displayed at Escalante Middle School (one as student artwork, others cloth) “indoctrinated” students (Herald, Oct. 12).
From the start, the district’s goal was to find a way to protect itself, staff members and students, avoid legal risk and associated costs, dollars they understood should stay in the district and not be wasted on lawyers, protect freedom of expression, and stay true to the board and district’s mission and values.
Both resolutions start by stating the district’s mission “to ensure each student develops the skills and attributes for lifelong learning and has the ability to compete and contribute in the global community, by guaranteeing equitable educational opportunities in a safe and healthy environment.”
The initial complaint resulted in some whiplash with the ban on symbols, a classroom neutrality policy, its quick rescission – a result of student and community pushback, and navigating death and other threats to the lives and livelihoods of board members, staff members and students.
With the Nov. 5 election of Donald Trump as president, his embrace of violent rhetoric and denigration of marginalized Americans, Tuesday’s meeting, the culmination of all of this activity, was tense and uncertain.
With these two important resolutions – read them at bit.ly/42BMfOS – the district appears to have thread the needle and found a legal path forward that was consistent with other 2021 and 2023 established policies and resolutions committing to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and LGBTQIA activities that express the board’s and community’s values.
The majority of the 140 people in attendance at the meeting, viewable at bit.ly/4hls2Bq, scaled back in number because of security concerns, expressed relief, and some tears, at the board’s unanimous decision.
The Herald’s editorial board was pleased to see students speak publicly because the majority of the controversy has been between adults, and not the students themselves.
Sure, some students were more comfortable with the neutrality policy, but we understand only as a means to reduce the tension felt in the school over the issue as quickly as possible. That policy left other students feeling left out, not belonging or seen, and is why board members went back to the drawing board.
Teri Kopack, a 9-R teacher, spoke at the meeting saying flags offer support and silent acknowledgment to marginalized members of our community. “Flags do not support the castration of children, nor harm kids. Hateful words and hateful people harm kids. Hateful ideologies that perpetuate fear of people who are different harm kids, and using religious doctrine to justify hate, harms children,” she said.
In a final appeal to board members before their vote, Kopack asked the board to “not be bullied by individuals that do not live in nor have children within our school system and do not align with our communities' loving and supporting ideals when making your final decision.”
It is every adult’s hope that all students feel supported and find comfort in their school environment, especially when they do not always find it at home. We thank the 9-R Board of Education members and community, especially the brave students who continue to speak up, for serving as an exemplary model for others.
We hope the board can get back to other important issues like filling a potential big hole in state funding, and others will spend their energy on remedying real threats to students. Flags and symbols are not among them.