Parents expressed their opinions during a meeting at the district office Tuesday night regarding an Atascadero Middle School teacher displaying a Pride flag in her classroom.
Some parents are calling for the sixth-grade teacher to face disciplinary action while other parents who attended Tuesday evening's meeting showed their support.
"I'd like to clarify a few pieces of information that appear to be completely inaccurate," Superintendent Tom Butler said. "First and foremost, there's no discipline, there's no evaluative process with the teacher along the topic that many of you are here to discuss."
Because there was nothing on the agenda regarding the potential dismissal of the teacher, the board of trustees could not comment on the subject. However, parents still made their voices known.
"My number one concern is parents' rights," one person said during public comment.
"I do not believe teachers should be bringing their political, religious, or sexual ideologies into classrooms," another person said.
"To me in the classroom, [my daughter] should be taught," said another parent during the meeting. "Taught the subjects she's in school for. I don't think that there should be any room for her to question herself or himself in the public school district."
The number of those in favor of the teacher greatly outnumbered those who didn't.
"In order to be college and career-ready, students must learn to navigate the larger society and its complex and diverse array of differing opinions and beliefs," another commenter said.
"We need to remember that displaying an LGBT flag is not just a symbol, but a beacon of acceptance and inclusivity and reminds every student at a school of our districts are a haven where they can be their true selves without fear," stated another speaker.
"Please keep in mind there is a student right now listening to all of us who is feeling uncomfortable in their own skin because of the words that are being spoken by some community members. If we don't outright take a stance as a district against anything short of affirmation on our campuses, we will have those higher numbers in mental health crises and students who seriously contemplate suicide," another speaker said.
Those in the community who stand for inclusivity believe fear is a main factor in demanding the Pride flag be taken out of the classroom.
"When you don't know someone or really understand what it means to be a gay person or to be a trans person and what that looks like and how that feels, you could kind of separate yourself," Douglas Heumann, chair of the Central Coast Coalition for Inclusive Schools said.
The board meeting was lengthy due to the number of people speaking on the issue at hand.
KSBY reached out to the teacher at the center of the discussion Tuesday but has not received a response.
