Intolerant Parents Spread Falsehoods, Call LGBT Pride Flag a ‘Biased, Opinionated, Sectarian Belief Symbol’
Parents of some students at a Banks, Oregon high school are falsely claiming the American flag has been removed from at least one teacher’s classroom and been replaced with the gay pride flag. And while a “handful” of teachers at Banks High School do have gay pride flags in their classrooms, no U.S. flag has been removed or replaced, the Banks School District superintendent was forced to announce in a statement.
“Last week, Superintendent Jeff Leo says a parent went on a radio show claiming a pride flag replaced a U.S. flag in one classroom, a claim he denies,” KSLA reports.
After Leo posted a news release saying as much on Facebook, several people commented including one woman who wrote:
“There needs to be no other flag in public schools except the American flag. Other flags should be displayed in the privacy of your own home, not a classroom. I vote to have it removed.”
And another person commented.
“This social justice movement separates and divides people. United we stand, divided we fall. Enough. One flag is all this country needs.”
One parent claims teachers are handing out LGBT pride pins to students also, again forcing Superintendent Leo to refute that claim.
“This is NOT about discrimination of students’ rights,” the parent told KATU via email. “It is about the teachers hanging a biased, opinionated, sectarian belief symbol in their classrooms and handing out pins to students that say the same thing.”
“This isn’t a political statement, it is a statement about teachers wanting to support students that they serve,” Leo said in response. “The LGBTQ community is a recognized protected class by federal law. No, an American flag was not taken down by a teacher and replaced by a rainbow flag. There have not been pins being handed out by teachers.”
Apparently, that Facebook post got so heated the Banks Braves Facebook page said they had to delete the post:
There were hundreds of comments on the press release about the pride flags. Over the past 24 hours many of you had an opportunity to voice your opinions. However, many had turned to personal attacks and a few posts with profanity.
We promote civil discourse but expect on district communications that we treat all people with dignity and respect. We had to delete the post.
Banks High School senior Skyler LaMotte told KATU he’s bisexual and was bullied when he first went to Banks High.Â
“LaMotte says most of the community is supportive,” KATU reports. “But he says seeing an LGBT pride flag on display in his government and economics class means something to him.”
He says it’s about a quarter the size of the American flag also hanging in that classroom.
“Knowing that there’s a teacher here who acknowledges that there are kids of different sexualities and genders, it really makes me feel just homelike,” LaMotte explained.
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