A RAINBOW PRIDE flag at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, File)
WALES, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin school board has voted in favor of a policy that prohibits teachers and staff from displaying gay pride flags and other items that district officials consider political in nature.
The Kettle Moraine School Board voted Tuesday to uphold a code of conduct that the superintendent recently interpreted as prohibiting district employees from displaying political or religious messages, including pride flags and Black Lives Matter and We Back the Badge signs . Staff may also not use their preferred pronouns in emails.
Superintendent Stephen Plum recently told the board that the district’s interpretation of a policy that prohibits employees from using their positions to promote partisan politics, religious views and propaganda for personal, monetary or non-monetary gain changed after a legal analysis.
Jim Romanowski was the only board member to vote against the ban, saying he changed his mind about the policy after hearing from students and staff.
Most of those who spoke at Tuesday’s full board meeting opposed the policy. The public comment period was limited to one hour, despite calls from the crowd to extend it.
“If you have a policy that says ‘nothing political,’ that means you can’t have a record that says, ‘Support our troops,’ or ‘Believe women,’ or ‘Save the planet?’ By some people’s definitions, all these things are political.” said Christine Donahoe, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin.
Donahoe said he is looking closely at the policy and a similar one passed last fall by the nearby Waukesha School District.
“It really feels like targeted attacks on specific viewpoints, like LGBT communities, or welcoming and safe spaces for students of color.” Donahoe said.
More than 13,000 people have signed an online petition against Kettle Moraine’s policy that was launched by two local high school students, Bethany Provan and Brit Farrar.
“Having a rainbow flag in your room is not pushing your beliefs on someone,” Provan told WITI-TV. “It’s just saying, ‘Hey, we welcome you here, and we support you.’
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