A Wisconsin school district has upheld a ban on the display of political or religious materials, such as LGBTQ+ or Pride flags, or stating their preferred pronouns in emails.
The Kettle Moraine School Board voted on Tuesday to retain its code of conduct that prohibits the display of materials that contain political or religious messages, which includes Pride flags, Black Lives Matter, and We Back the Badge signs, as well as stating their pronouns in emails. The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin criticized the decision.
"If you have a policy that says 'nothing political,' does that mean you can't have a sign up that says, 'Support our Troops,' or 'Believe Women' or 'Save the Planet?' By some people's definitions, all of those things are political," Christine Donahoe, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, said during a public school board hearing on Tuesday.
"We're in a world where politics are highlighted, and it puts people in uncomfortable positions," school superintendent Stephen Plum said last month during a board meeting that announced the guidelines.
One school board member, Jim Romanowski, criticized the policy's interpretation as overbroad.
"Our district says we support all students," Romanowski said on Tuesday, according to CNN. "Now is the time to prove it."