By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice
In a room charged with emotion, the Durango School Board’s decision to revisit their flag policy left the community holding its breath.
The Durango School Board met Oct. 15 to discuss the district’s recent choice to take down LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter flags from classrooms.
The controversy began when a parent lodged a complaint on Sept. 11, arguing that Black Lives Matter and the Pride flags are political symbols.
The parent claimed these flags promoted political agendas in a school setting. In response, Durango School District 9-R implemented a policy on Oct. 1, requiring the removal of these specific flags, while allowing standard Pride flags to remain.
This decision ignited community and teacher concerns, leading to the public outcry at the Oct. 15 board meeting.
Leading up to the meeting, the La Plata County Republicans had urged parents and families to make their voices heard. However, some individuals expressed frustration on social media about being unable to speak. Grayci Lou posted on the La Plata County Republicans’ Facebook page: “I showed up at 5:04 and the measly spots were already filled up!”
Bailey Carlson, an HIV program manager at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and a Durango-based drag performer, who identified himself as a queer, transgender man spoke: “I know the school district might see this as the right move legally, but is this the right move morally? Is this ban truly in line with the DEI policy that the school district claims to uphold? Will you continue to listen to the one parent complaint where [more than] 900 students, teachers, parents and community members have signed the petition to repeal this ban?”
Teacher Joanne Spudman also commented, “People who disapprove of racial, gender or sexual diversity are trying to make these symbols political because they desire to remove the diversity as well as the flags that give our community hope.”
She added, “I told those people that Durango 9-R was all about diversity, equity and inclusion. And yet, here I am, only two months into the school year, addressing this school board, because they have removed the safe spaces from our students of color and our trans students. Being black or brown is not political. Discomfort with black and brown people is. Being trans is not political. Discomfort with trans people is. Being intersex is not political. Discomfort with intersex people is.”
DHS Senior Ava Allen also commented, “I’m the president of the Black Student Alliance here. I’m the president of the Vietnam Program. I am the co-founder of the Student Advocacy and Volition Education Committee, and I am also the person who has started the walkout this afternoon.”
Ava added, “If you are offended by the colors of a beautiful rainbow created by water and sunlight, then maybe you’re the problem.”
The only public comment supporting the flag ban in classrooms was by Mackenzie, a parent of two students. She argued, “School is a place of learning, not of indoctrination. If you’re going to include the Pride flag, then include the Ten Commandments too.”
School board members reminded the audience of rules and being respectful, after there was heckling and laughter following the mother’s remarks.
Board members react
Several board members reflected on the difficult decision and the responsibility they hold in balancing legal, financial and community obligations.
Kristin Smith emphasized the importance of protecting all students, saying, “These children are precious to me. Whatever their gender or how they identify, what matters is that they’re kids in our school district.”
Rick Petersen addressed the complexity of the issue, explaining: “This entire subject, it’s been extraordinarily difficult for all of us. Because we are charged as elected officials with both supporting our communities of students, supporting our staff, and maintaining fiscal responsibility and legal responsibility.” He added, “Unfortunately, the real world of adulting is, very few things are like that, and that’s what we’re working through right now.”
Andrea Parmenter shared, “The way that we govern everything operational is really the responsibility of the superintendent. And when we get a parent complaint, we have to respond to it and it has to be resolved. The superintendent is not allowed to take any legal risks, so following the actual process, and this is where our governance model gets a little weird. I believe that these kids need to be seen. I do not believe these flags are threatening. If they are, we have education to do around our DEI policy.”
Erika Brown called for more information before a final decision, “This is the first time it’s come to us as a board. And so, I would like to move that we suspend implementation of the resolution until the board can gather the information we need to make an educated decision about this issue.”
The board’s decision
Following the extended commentary and board discussion, the board voted to suspend the implementation of the flag ban until further legal review and research could be completed.
Meeting attendees and viewers weigh in
Longtime Durango resident Jackie Caudill attended. Her children were students and now she has two grandchildren in the district.
“One of my grandchildren is special needs and she’s probably not able to make decisions herself. I think the only flags that should be in classrooms are the American flag and maybe the state flag,” she said. “Because schools are there to enrich minds, not to indoctrinate them toward a belief or feeling.”
She continued, “I had to leave when I saw how the one dissenting parent was treated with such disrespect. A reporter for the Herald was sitting next to me and I showed him board meeting rules stating “signs, banners and other distracting items are not allowed” but I didn’t see that addressed at the meeting or by the paper.”
Dr. Rich Guggenheim, the Co-chapter leader and Director of Legislation for Gays Against Groomers also shared a statement he’d planned to share at the board meeting. In it, he says, “By limiting the flags that can be displayed within our school premises to the American flag, we can proactively prevent the promotion or glorification of symbols associated with those who have targeted and harmed members of the LGBTQ+ community, and ironically, in this case, the Progress flag is just such a flag. This policy helps to ensure that all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can feel safe, respected, and included in our educational environment.” His full statement can be read here.
What’s next?
The Durango School Board plans to hold further meetings and discussions on the matter. They have encouraged parents, families and students to reach out to them by email at [email protected]