No pride flag, or others, in Davis School District classrooms

BOUNTIFUL, Utah — The Davis School District said it followed state law in deciding not to allow certain flags in classrooms, including the Pride flag.

“We’re following state law, and state law says we need to keep our classrooms politically neutral,” Davis School District Spokesman, Chris Williams told KSL NewsRadio.

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Williams said educators were reminded during recent Davis district principal training that they needed to follow state law and, that accordingly some teachers had to take down flags. He didn’t specify which flags were taken down, but did say Pride flags are among those that have been deemed too political for classrooms.

“There are lots of flags that would be considered political, Make America Great Again, Black Lives Matter, Thin Blue Line, Dixie Rebel flag.” Williams said. “There are lots of flags that cause divisiveness and to be politically neutral we can’t allow divineness in our schools.”

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The Utah Pride Center says they don’t use the Pride flag as a symbol of inclusion.

“We don’t use this  to, you know, make political statements,” said Amanda Darrow. “We’re just using it as a way to find space within our own environment — in an environment that doesn’t always feel welcoming to us.” 

Williams says the district does everything they can to make sure schools are great places of learning. That includes making students feel welcome. 

“If it comes down to a flag to make a student feel welcome, we’ve failed to build the right environment in our schools,” he said.

Darrow said her work with the Utah Pride Center includes teaming with schools on inclusivity. Symbols, including flags, she said, are the way you make LGBTQIA+ individuals feel welcome in schools.

“We know that we’re already not in those spaces, we know we’re not in the curriculum. They’re not teaching about our community. So, these little symbols are ways for us to feel included when we’re already not included.” 

Read more:

• Video shows cheering as someone removes pride flag at Ridgeline High

• Police investigate burning of Pride Flag as possible hate crime in Kaysville

• June is officially LGBTQ+ Pride month in Utah

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