Williamson County Parents Speak Out Against Displaying Pride Flags In Classrooms

Image Credit: Williamson County Television / YouTube

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

The most recent meeting of the Williamson County Board of Education was highly attended by many parents wishing to publicly speak out about pride flags in local classrooms.

The September meeting began with a vote to elect Angela Durham as the chair of the board for the upcoming year. After a moment of recess to allow Durham to take her place, the floor was opened for public comment.

Thirty parents signed up to speak at the meeting, leading the board to limit their allotted time to 1 minute each.

First to speak was Jody Smith, the mother of a student at Grassland Elementary. Smith started the discussion by stating that “symbols of diversity like Pride flags are not about pushing any particular agenda but about creating an environment where every student feels valued and respected.”

Bill Petty followed, opening with a reminder that “we just pledged allegiance to the flag and I think that’s the only flag we should have in a classroom other than a state flag.”

Petty went on to read a policy created by another school district that states that “the district’s role is to teach students how to think not what to think, thereby keeping classrooms as places of education not indoctrination.” He encouraged the board to consider a similar policy.

After several students spoke in favor of the flags, Laura C. took to the podium, calling those against pride flags “exclusive, bigoted, and downright mean.”

Several other parents spoke in favor of allowing teachers to display pride flags in classrooms as a symbol of “belonging, love, and inclusion.”

Most of the parents and students speaking in favor of the flags represented Wilco Iris, a nonprofit organization that claims to provide “a safe space for queer Youth and their allies” in Williamson County.

The majority of those speaking were opposed to teachers displaying the pride flag.

Parent Lisa Church argued against the push for the flags, asking, “Why in the world do we need to have a pride flag in the classroom to make kids feel like they’re safe? Doesn’t that mean that the teachers who don’t choose to put a pride flag up are unsafe? Why do we have unsafe teachers in Williamson County?”

She continued, “We do not need politics in the classroom. We do not need teachers pitted against each other because one chooses to have a flag and another one doesn’t. Every teacher needs to make students feel safe. We do not need flags in the classroom.”

Elliot Franklin noted that the displaying of pride flags in the classroom could actually increase instances of bullying and suggested that the board consider a policy similar to one adopted by other counties where only American flags were allowed to be on display.

One community member stated, “In my opinion, when displayed in a classroom, a pride flag represents agreement with the idea that the public school classroom is an appropriate location for the sexualization of children.”

Melanie Felhaur, a group leader for Moms for America, noted that speaking about sex in the workplace could be considered sexual harassment under federal laws. She asked, “Shouldn’t we extend that same protection to our children and their learning environment?”

“I hear a request from people to allow adult teachers not related to these students – therefore strangers – to affirm the sexual proclivities of a minor in a place specifically designed for learning. This is a moral issue; this is not just a flag,” stated Ramont Hamer.

The meeting was also attended by James O’Keefe, journalist and conservative activist. O’Keefe did not speak at the meeting but was on hand to hear the comments from Williamson County parents.

Watch the meeting below – the public comment period begins at about 35:44.