Flag in Lee County high school classroom causes controversy

What is said and shown in Florida public school classrooms can be a touchy subject, to say the least, so when a teacher at Riverdale High School displayed this flag in the classroom, some students took note.  

“The person who sent it to me conveyed a message that they didn’t appreciate it,” said Michael Thompson, Chairman of Lee County Republican Executive Committee.

The Lee GOP chairman said the flag promotes woke indoctrination.  

The flag says, “Hate has no home here” but some people say having a flag like this in the classroom causes more harm than good. 

A Riverdale student sent a picture of the flag to Thompson.

“They brought it to our attention at the GOP, and they were like, ‘We thought Governor DeSantis had taken care of this,'” Thompson said.

Governor DeSantis’ Stop Woke Act restricts how race is talked about in schools, colleges, and corporations.  

LGBTQ+ groups say flags like these promote inclusion and recognize the communities that identify with LGBTQ pride.  

Thompson said that even if the flag isn’t a part of the curriculum, it sends the wrong message to kids.  

So, how did Lee County Public Schools respond? 

“They shared with me that the teacher agreed to cover up the Black Lives Matter portion of the flag. But at the same time, they said the teacher feels that they have constitutional rights and freedom of speech,” Thompson said.

Thompson said that as government employees those rights aren’t protected.

Lee County Schools released a statement that says, “The District is aware and continues to work toward a satisfactory resolution.”