De Pere School Board doesn't ban pride flags, for now
DE PERE — The De Pere School Board approved a policy Monday that restricts flags flown outside schools, while tabling action on what flags are allowed in classrooms.
Flags that can be flown outside schools and at athletic events include: the U.S. flag, the Wisconsin state flag, the Unified School District of De Pere flag, the flag of the municipality the school is in and the POW-MIA flag, dedicated to U.S. prisoners of war and service members missing in action.
However, the policy the board passed was different than the one a packed board room came to hear the decision on. At the start of the meeting, the proposed policy restricted any flags outside of the five listed above from being displayed on school property without the express approval of the board.
Twenty-two community members and students spoke to the board about the policy, with about half in favor and half opposed. Some spoke in favor of the original policy proposed in July that restricted flags flown on flagpoles outside of school buildings.
While the proposed policy didn't expressly ban the rainbow-colored LGBTQ+ flag — also known as the pride flag — from being displayed in classrooms or by students, the majority of speakers interpreted the policy as a ban.
Community members and students speak in support and opposition of banning the pride flag.
Tamara Gaspanck, a De Pere community member, said she wants the district to stick with one flag: the U.S. flag.
"I would hope that you would stay with one flag," she said at the meeting. "We are here to educate our children. To me, (the pride flag) is starting to indoctrinate our children."
Wearing a shirt that said "Trans Kids Belong," Erica Stindt said the proposed policy restricting flags both inside and outside the classroom would run counter to the board's objective to support all students.
Natalie Hoffman said it's no secret that the proposed policy would ban the pride flag from being flown at De Pere schools.
More: De Pere school board proposes policy limiting which flags are displayed on school grounds
"The best way that you can show the LGBTQ students in your district that they are welcomed and safe in the midst of this hostile anti-LGBTQ environment that we're living in, is to not restrict that flag from being flown at schools," she said.
The pride flag helps create supportive and affirming spaces for LGBTQ youth. Having those spaces is one of the protective factors consistently associated with better mental health and lower suicide risk, according to the Trevor Project's 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Wisconsin.
In Brown County, LGBT students don't feel as welcome at school as their straight counterparts. About 44% of LGBT high school students feel a sense of belonging at school compared to 67% of straight and cisgender high schoolers, according to the Wisconsin's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results.
There had been public comment about the controversial flag policy in August with the board tabling a vote after hearing from a room full of community members both opposed to and in favor of the policy.
Before the August meeting, the Republican Party of Brown County sent a message to its members asking them to attend the board meeting to "show support for our conservative board members who will be voting for the patriotic flag policy." In Wisconsin, school board positions are nonpartisan.
The message also called on party members to "stand up against the liberal propaganda machine," such as having the LGBTQ flag, or pride flag, on display.
De Pere is not the first district in Wisconsin to explore restricting flags at school.
In 2022, the Kettle Moraine School District banned teachers and administration from displaying political or religious messaging on their person or in classrooms, including pride flags and back the badge flags. The Waukesha School District suspended a teacher in 2021 for refusing to take down a pride flag in her classroom.
Prior to the board's approval of the policy, De Pere's only flag policy was that the U.S. flag would be flown outside schools and in classrooms.
Attorney's concerns prompt board to change course
The district's legal counsel, Robert Burns, recommended that the board define what qualifies as a flag as well as what it means to fly a flag on behalf of the district. He raised the question of whether the proposed policy would limit officially designated flags of the district or also those displayed personally by students or staff.
His questions prompted revisions from two board members: Melissa Niffenegger and Brittony Cartwright. Both of their proposed revisions excluded student clothing since students have First Amendment freedom of speech rights.
However, their policy revisions did apply to flags in classrooms, requiring board approval to display them. Niffenegger's proposed revisions went further to specify that depictions like flag stickers would be prohibited on school grounds, including pride flags and Confederate flags.
Burns cautioned about an overly broad policy that would include areas the board might not have the power to regulate. He recommended sticking with the original proposal of flag's flown outside schools.
"The more you would have to monitor and enforce the 'anywhere on school property aspect' seems, to me, to create much higher obstacle to keeping that policy defensible," he said.
Board member Jeff Mirkes opposed the policy restricting flags inside schools, saying he would support the original policy of flags flown outside.
"I remember the very first time this topic came up and (it) was suggested that we need to evaluate flag policy, my initial reaction was this really felt like a solution looking for a problem," he said at the meeting.
Board President Adam Clayton said he was on the same page.
"This whole thing has been unnecessary from the start, there hasn't been a problem. I haven't seen a reason that we have to do this. There's never been one provided," he said.
After board members Jeff Dickert, Chad Jeskewitz, Mirkes and Clayton indicated support of an exterior flag policy, the board approved that policy. All board members voted in favor, with Clayton abstaining.
The board is expected to discuss a policy regulating flags inside classrooms at its next meeting.
Superintendent Christopher Thompson and Clayton declined to be interviewed about the policy.
Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: De Pere School Board doesn't ban pride flags, for now
