“Let’s just say we have a child who grew up in a household that’s very religious,” he asked. “You think they’re not feeling condemned when they walk into a room” and see an LGBTQ+ flag?
When most of the crowd laughed, he threatened to have attendees escorted out of the room.
So Big Walnut, in Sundbury, Ohio, becomes the latest board taken over by ideologues who have forced their values on the populace. They have ignored their creed that says, “The mission of the Big Walnut Local Schools is to inspire and guide each student to his or her maximum potential.”
They need to amend that and, after maximum potential, say, “As long as you follow our belief system,” or, “As long as you’re not one of those Pride people.”
The board selected several flags allowed to fly in school classrooms, including the U.S., Ohio, and military flags. But Crowl, in remarks reported by the Columbus Dispatch, told the crowd what the ban is really about.
“It will give us the authority to control the displays in the classroom,” he said.
That’s it. He and his cronies want to control. His remarks show how the parental rights movement is nothing more than lip service. Parents only have the right to be involved based on the parameters of a school board that only represents a portion of the community.
Don’t be surprised if the board’s action faces a lawsuit. The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that authorities can’t censor speech unless they can prove it will interfere with a school’s function. The Ohio Revised Code says all students have a right to free speech that can only be infringed upon if the schools deem the speech “indecent.”
The board’s flag ban may also face challenges because it’s vague. It says, “Displays that recognize achievement and are approved by the superintendent” are acceptable. Does that mean a lesson on Kate Brown can display her photo and a Pride flag? Brown became the highest-ranking elected LGBTQ+ person in the nation when she was elected governor of Oregon in 2016.
What if Lori Lightfoot, the first Black female and openly LGBTQ+ mayor of Chicago, comes up in a Black History Month discussion? It looks like the teacher will be prohibited from flying the Pride flag.
This is bigotry at its best, and the more than 100 citizens who packed the meeting room and spoke against the ban saw that.
That’s a massive turnout in a town with just 7,906 residents. Granted, some might have been interest groups from out of town, and not everyone may have had students at the schools. But the point remains.
That’s still huge.
The holidays are supposed to be a time of love and understanding. The only thing the Big Walnut board members who voted for the ban understand is hate and ignorance, two qualities in which the district’s children will now be schooled.
The board should be ashamed of itself for pushing those lessons.
Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each Sunday. He can be reached at raymarcanoddn@gmail.com.
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