NORTH CAROLINA: School Dress Code Bans Confederate Flag, Swastika
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — Orange County Schools Monday night approved a revamped dress code that bans the Confederate flag after months of discussions.
Just last month, a proposed policy prohibited students from wearing clothes that are disruptive, or could reasonably intimidate other students, but stopped short of explicitly mentioning the Confederate flag.
White nationalist demonstrators walk into the entrance of Lee Park surrounded by counter demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
In Monday night’s meeting, specific language about the Confederate flag, KKK and swastikas was added to the previous policy as examples of what would not be allowed.
Last month some people were not pleased with the proposed policy, saying they wanted the new dress code to specifically ban the Confederate flag.
Heather Redding, a member of the Hate-Free Schools Coalition, was in Charlottesville this weekend. She said, “The weight of all the hate and all of these groups coming together and all of the violence, I came back and I thought, ‘How could they allow this flag in a school’?”
Dr. Stephen Halkiotis, chair of the Orange County School Board, proposed the additions to the policy.
“We need to take a landmark step and get this done,” he said.
Tina Partner was also in Charlottesville this weekend and said she was surprised by the board’s vote Monday night.
“Of course, we’re all elated that this has finally happened, but I really wish they had listened to the community members before this tragedy happened,” she said.
CBS North Carolina asked Halikotis about the timing.
Michael Hyland asked him, “Why did it take seeing what happened this weekend to take the vote tonight?”
He replied, “Government works in a dinosaur-like way. It takes a long time. There’s nothing quick about this.”
That policy would have left more discretion to principals to decide if the symbolic speech is disruptive or intimidating. If the dress code plan from last month was approved, every school in the district would have determined, individually, what is prohibited.
Superintendent Dr. Todd Wirt pointed out the district also has a task force which is meeting to address broader issues of equity. The task force includes some members of the Hate-Free Schools Coalition.
The exact language approved Monday by the Orange County Board of Education is:
Clothing and accessories are not to substantially disrupt the education process. Students are not to wear clothing, buttons, patches, jewelry, make-up, face/body paint or any other items with words phrases, symbols, pictures or signs that are indecent, profane, or substantially disruptive, including items that are reasonably expected to intimidate other students on the basis of race (for example KKK, swastika, and the Confederate Flag), color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age or religious affiliation.
Superintendent of Orange County Schools, Dr. Todd Wirt, issued a lengthy statement on the Orange County Schools Facebook page Monday night:
A statement from the Superintendent of Orange County Schools:
Over the course of the past school year, our Board of Education and our school system has been confronted with a challenging issue. Twice a month, I have sat with our Board of Education and listened to passionate members of our community come to the podium and share their thoughts and their hearts on a complex issue that does not have a simple solution. The request was made for our school system and specifically, of our Board of Education, to place a ban of the Confederate Flag in our policy. As I work closely with our Board of Education on a regular basis, I can confidently say that they have taken the request from the community seriously from the first night it was presented. The Board of Education went through a very thoughtful, deliberate and informed process to come to the policy decision that they made Monday night.
The Board of Education, after considering all of the information, has made the bold and courageous move of prohibiting the Confederate Flag, swastika, and any KKK related symbols or language in our Student Dress Code Policy. The exact language approved by our Board of Education is:
Clothing and accessories are not to substantially disrupt the education process. Students are not to wear clothing, buttons, patches, jewelry, make-up, face/body paint or any other items with words phrases, symbols, pictures or signs that are indecent, profane, or substantially disruptive, including items that are reasonably expected to intimidate other students on the basis of race (for example KKK, swastika, and the Confederate Flag), color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age or religious affiliation.
We currently live in a politically charged and polarized environment that is fueled by both national and state level politics and saddening acts of violence and hate. The effects of that environment often manifest themselves first in public schools, leaving our school administrators, teachers and support staff in a position to educate and counsel our children on topics like acceptance and understanding. The issue and the challenge that was placed before our school system has on the surface been about the Confederate Flag, but on a much deeper level is about working to better understand each other and ensuring that our schools have a learning environment that is accepting of all groups represented in our beautifully diverse community.
The new policy gives our staff the permission to ensure that the learning environment in each of our schools and in each of our classrooms is free of intimidation and distraction with regards to dress and symbols of speech. I, along with all of my colleagues in Orange County Schools, have been entrusted by our community to not only educate our students but to protect them and empower them: we will do just that. Today, I am asking each of our parents and guardians to have an honest conversation about this topic. Talk to your children about how the things that they wear and say, do in fact have an influence on others and the learning environment in our schools.
We can and will continue to look for ways to improve our policies, but policy will not change the hearts and minds of our community. That will happen through open hearts, open minds, and open dialogue.
–wncn.com
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NORTH CAROLINA: Small Confederate Flag Removed From Toppled Statue site in Durham
Small Confederate flag removed from toppled statue site in Durham
“I was a little conflicted about the stuff last night,” he told reporters. “The community wanted it down, the city wanted it down. But the state legislature made it so the city couldn’t decide that.So the citizens did. I think it’s fine. We don’t need symbols of hate like that in our community.”
Opposing viewpoints are flooding social media, with many people insisting the statue and remaining memorial stone pedestal honor Durham citizens who fought for their community. Many are offended by images that shop opponents stomping on the downed statue.
RELATED: Sheriff to seek charges against Durham protesters who pulled down Confederate statue
“People kicking it while it was down, and adding that violence didn’t feel good,” said Schultz. “So I kind of wanted to come in this morning and just think through it, feel it. And I was just going to sit and reflect a bit. But then this dude walked up with a Confederate flag, and placed it in front of it. Knowing full well what he was doing, no question. He went on some tirade about Bernie Sanders and Hillary being evil, and I was physically shaken and upset. I’m Jewish, I had to explain to my kids the other day what was going on, and why it mattered. And I had to tell them yeah, if Hitler were around today he would kill me, and he would kill you.”
Schultz says when that man with the flag spoke angrily about the Democratic candidates, apparently blaming them for the actions taken by demonstrators in Durham, “I get it now. I get why they were angry last night, why they were kicking. I waited until he went away. didn’t want conflict, I didn’t want beef. I didn’t need to hear his thoughts. I just knew that that flag didn’t need to be there, either. So I just removed it.”
He placed the flag inside a nearby trash can, steps away from the spot where the toppled statue was until county workers took it away.
–abc11.com
