A school district in Maryland is changing its policy regarding flags as some teachers say they were pressured into displaying the LGBT flag in school classrooms despite a political neutrality policy.
Carroll County will adopt a new policy to allow only the American flag, the Maryland flag, and the county’s own flag in classrooms following a vote by the district school board.
“Our students are a captive audience and as such need to be protected from all political agendas, both from the right and the left,” school board member Donna Sivigny said at a board meeting Wednesday, Townhall reported.
“I also respect the rights of teachers to work in a non-hostile work environment, deliver an effective lesson and support all kids in the best way that they can, but we require that they do it in a politically neutral way that creates a safe space for every student in our schools,” she said.
“However, many teachers have reached out to me saying that they’ve been pressured or bullied to put flags in their classroom, and that’s a problem that needs to be addressed,” she explained.
The flags were donated to the district by a local LGBTQ+ group and district Superintendent Steven Lockard said that they were simply made available for anyone’s use and that no one was required to display them.
School board president Kenneth Kiler, however, charged that “These flags were shoved down teachers’ throats to put on their desk – that’s not inclusive. That’s not the way it ought to be.”
Another member noted that their presence in classrooms provides “a gateway for other flags to come into our schools that other people will not like. We’ve already banned the Confederate flag, and that was done a couple of years ago. … The premise behind the Pride flag was social advocacy … which is political.”
After the policy is established by the board, members will allow public comment before moving to vote on the final adoption of the new rules on flags.
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