PENDLETON — LGBT student concerns are human right issues, not political issues. That was the message students, parents and teachers delivered Thursday to South Madison Board of Trustees at Thursday’s meeting.
Several speakers addressed the controversial issue of three teachers who were directed by the administration in April to remove LGBT pride flags from their classrooms because they were deemed political paraphernalia.
“Equal rights and someone being valid is not inherently political, even if it’s made that way by some politicians,” said parent James Wills.
He was one of about half a dozen LGBT people and supporters who addressed the board.
Wills said he was concerned about suicide rates among LGBT students.
“We rely a lot on the schools to take care of our children while they’re there,” he said.
Pendleton Heights sophomore Tai Wills, the only student to speak, said even though she has support at home, that of teachers may be all the support some LGBT students get. The flags, she said, told LGBT students that those teachers provided a safe haven.
“It frustrated a lot of us,” said Tai Wills, who identifies as bisexual. “Even for me, it speaks happiness because it means something to other people.”
Wills said she was concerned for the mental health of her LGBT classmates. South Madison in recent years suffered a rash of suicides and suicide attempts by students, some of whom were LGBT, in all grade levels.
She said Pendleton Heights administration has been less than supportive of LGBT students when pride flags were defaced and those who identified as LGBT were harassed by their classmates.
“That really hurts me because that affects their mental health,” she said.
Jasmine Clark said she came from Greenfield to show support.
“You have to know that children in your schools don’t feel safe to explore who they are. They don’t feel safe to express themselves,” she said. “You can’t learn when you live in fear like that.”
Taking down the flag and suppressing the discussion of LGBT students and their rights also does a disservice to straight and cisgender students, she said.
“Neutrality does not save kids’ lives,” she said.
Board president Bill Hutton came under fire by some speakers because of an email statement sent to students, parents and staff in which he said if LGBT flags are allowed, white supremacist flags must be allowed. He defended the comment as demonstrating that they are opposing factions.
“I wasn’t condoning white supremacy,” he said.
When Hutton said he didn’t know what the solution might be to balancing the free speech rights of these two groups, Chris Hanks offered a suggestion: check out the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website.
“There are several ways to determine what is hate speech and what is not,” Hanks said.
Hutton said he and the board would take the speakers’ comments under advisement.
“We’re open to suggestions. We want the best possibilities for students to be successful,” he said.
