Teacher with BLM, LGBTQ posters in virtual classroom on administrative leave in Texas

A nonprofit organization is going to bat for a Texas teacher who was put on administrative leave for having posters that included Black Lives Matter and “Diverse, Inclusive, Accepting, Welcoming, Safe Space For Everyone” in rainbow colors in her virtual classroom, KVEO reported.

Taylor Lifka was placed on administrative leave by the Roma Independent School District after several complaints were made about material displayed in her virtual class, according to a petition on Change.org. Lifka is an Advanced English teacher at Roma High School in Roma, Texas.

“I want to clarify that Ms. Lifka did not reach out to us, we want to bring awareness.” said Steven Cano, a representative of the South Texas Equality Project (STEP), the nonprofit organization that created the Change.org petition for Lifka, according to KVEO. “In our current times, we are still in that struggle for that need for equality.”

Marian Knowlton, who is running for the Texas House of Representatives, took to Facebook to express her concern that “the education system has been radicalizing students.”

“This screenshot was sent to me by a concerned educator who received it from parents of a student who the parents decided to remove from this teacher’s English Literature class,” Knowlton said in the post. “This is the virtual classroom that each student visits every day. They are welcomed by an LGBT ‘diversity is welcomed’ poster, a feminism poster that translates to ‘Girlfriend, your struggle is my struggle,’ a photo of radical protesters (one of whom looks like an ANTIFA member) and propaganda that promotes the radical Marxist movement ‘Black Lives Matter.’ In addition, this teacher asks which pronoun they prefer!”

Marxism, a doctrine by German philosopher Karl Marx, is a political and economic way of organizing “social change through an economic lens, with the assumption that the rich and the poor should become more equal,” according to PolitiFact.

The Black Lives Matter movement has been cited recently by political figures like Rudy Giuliani and athletes like MLB pitcher Sam Coonrod as being Marxist due to a 2015 interview with BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, who described herself and her fellow organizers as “trained Marxists.”

However, it’s been noted that since the movement was launched, its followers recognize the message as anti-racist.

“Regardless of whatever the professed politics of people may be who are prominent in the movement, they don’t represent its breadth,” Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Princeton University African American Studies professor and author of “From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation” said to PolitiFact. “There are definitely socialists within the movement, as there have been in every single social movement in 20th century American history and today. But that does not make those socialist movements, it makes them mass movements.”

The school district said it was working closely with the teacher to find a resolution for all parties in a statement to KVEO.

“Roma ISD will continue to promote ideals of equality, acceptance and fair treatment of all students and community members, regardless of their age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender or sexual orientation. The District has anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies in place. Additionally, the District strives to create an educational environment where every student feels safe and welcome. The District hopes to continue working with the teacher to resolve this issue.” the statement says.

The district also said that “Lifka is not being reprimanded in any way for her work” according to KVEO.

McClatchy News has reached out to the Roma Independent School District for comment.