BY: Nyla Stanford
Published 2 weeks ago
The stance of the North Carolina Education Board leaves teachers and the community at an impasse in the meaning of “focusing on learning”. Within the past week, the Johnston County board has decided, by a 4-2 vote, to ban pride flags from the classrooms. The policy’s justification centers on the presence of existing unifying flags that establish a safe environment, including the school flag, the U.S. flag, and the North Carolina flag, and that advocacy shouldn’t be forced onto students. However, on the approved list of banners, military, family photos, and sponsorships are allowed.
The Opposing Community View
The board’s defense resides at a crossroads. Public schools “just focusing on education” forget that the polarizing identities that make up America, which Johnston County Board officials are attempting to protect, are embedded in the educational history that students would learn. Kay Carroll was one of the two board members who voted in favor of keeping pride flags. Carroll notes that the pride flags could appear in family photos because the community’s makeup is diverse. He urged that a backlash was imminent.
Michelle Antoine, a board member who favors banning pride flags, framed the decision as not about acceptance. “It’s not about someone feeling accepted or not accepted,” Antoine stated. “We want all students accepted.” The contradictory sentiment persisted throughout the discussion.
The Presidential Effect
Johnston County’s push for change appears to be part of a domino effect from the Trump administration’s restrictive policies. The Trump administration required the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from all federal funding. The mission is to undo the “leftwing ideologies” and restore equal treatment of all Americans, according to Trump. The policy changes are also in contention with removing the wording on sexual orientation and gender identity from the anti-discrimination and harassment policy.
As mentioned earlier, the concern is the federal funding to public schools. Consequently, it puts a burden on the rest of the state. In doing so, Johnston County has taken upon itself to remove not only sexual orientation and gender, but also other protected groups, such as color, race, religion, and ancestry.
Antoine mentioned that the district previously added sexual orientation and gender identity in response to federal funding threats under the Biden administration. The back and forth doesn’t help. Instead, it adds to the confusion and contempt for the authority that wields the decision on the school board.
The Lasting Impact of Disregard
April Lee was one of the two votes in favor of preserving the pride flags. Lee left a gentle reminder about the board’s lack of diversity. She pressed on how this could be a blind spot in future decision-making. Simply put, the policy instills fear in the public education system. This reverberates as a loss of what public education is meant to provide for children and the community.
The chosen rhetoric from those defending the policy change is deprioritizing the “left-wing agenda.” The school board is prioritizing federal dollars, which, regardless of their non-partisan nature, are always at risk.
What do you think will be the community’s response moving forward to the exclusion of not only LGBTQIA+ but also all previously protected identities? How do you think this decision will affect other states? Comment Below!
