Inclusivity prevails in Durango schools as the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education unanimously approved two resolutions Tuesday allowing the display of Black Lives Matter and Progress Pride flags in classrooms.
“There’s a lot of rhetoric being thrown around about what this is about, but it’s not political,” Board Vice President Erika Brown said. “It’s not a lot of things that have been said. It’s really about making sure that our kids are safe in our schools. That’s all it’s about.”
Outside the meeting, supporters waved flags backing the resolutions and the communities they seek to protect. The Impact Career Innovation Center at Durango High School reached capacity for the meeting, with dozens peering in through windows to get a view. Many in the crowd waved small pride flags to support speakers.
Ten people were permitted to give a public comment of three minutes each. The commenters included students, parents, a reverend at a local church, and the director of the Four Corner Rainbow Youth Center. All were in favor of the resolutions.
The Colorado Republican Party opposed the resolutions in question, but none on the opposing side gave public comment or were visibly demonstrating in or around the meeting.
The La Plata County Republican Central Committee posted a call to action on social media.
“Sick board members want to talk about trans with your children and promote the violent racism of BLM to your kids,” read the GOP Facebook post.
“Show up to stand against transanity and for innocent kids,” it implored.
RELATED: Colorado GOP Threatens to Sue Durango School District Over Pride Flag Resolution
Board Secretary Andrea Parmenter noted that 73% of emailed comments were in support of flags in classrooms, but a good number of notes in opposition were “threatening” and “hateful.”
Board Member Rick Petersen thanked those who were in opposition but who expressed themselves in a non-divisive way. He also reiterated his support for marginalized communities and apologized for the way he expressed his hesitations about voting on the resolutions at the last meeting.
Before the vote, Board President Kristin Smith said that kids only get 18 years of childhood, and what happens in those years impacts them for the rest of their lives; that’s why support for marginalized communities is important.
“I want to make sure that every student that comes into our schools feels all the support and love and all of everything that they need,” Smith said. “And some students are always going to need something different than other students, or something more than other students.”
After the unanimous vote, the crowd erupted in applause.
“Consistent with the Board’s DEI Resolution”
“The Board supports the rights of District employees to post in their classrooms, offices, or halls all forms of LGBTQIA2S+ pride flags or other sign of support for LGBTQIA2S+ students or staff, because these are symbols consistent with the Board’s DEI Resolution, ongoing inclusivity efforts, and Results Policies, including inclusive curriculum,” the resolution concerning pride flags reads.
“The Board of Education supports the rights of District employees to post in their classrooms, offices, or halls all Black Lives Matter and Brown Lives Matter flags, signs, or other symbols of support for Black, Brown, and other non-white racial and ethnic identities, because these are symbols consistent with the Board’s DEI Resolution, ongoing inclusivity efforts, and Results Policies, including inclusive curriculum,” the resolution about BLM flags says.
It’s unclear if Republicans will respond or follow up on threats to sue the school district. The board is confident that its resolutions will pass legal muster.
“People are tired of their kids going to school and being groomed by teachers and teacher unions, lured into art clubs where teachers discuss sex toys and genital mutilation, and taught that anyone with white skin is racist,” Darcy Schoening, the Colorado Republican Party’s director of special initiatives, told the Colorado Times Recorder last month, adding that the issue is a top priority for Republicans. “It is not a priority for Democrats because they don’t care about families and aim to erode away our freedoms by using mentally ill people for sympathy. This agenda is crumbling, public schools are crumbling, and we must accelerate this.”
“There is no such thing as transgender,” Schoening repeatedly claimed, explaining that she viewed the Progress flag as a “sham” and that the BLM movement is a violent terrorist organization.
Schoening did not give an example of teachers discussing sex toys or genital mutilation.
