JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Equality Florida slammed Duval County Public Schools for removing rainbow posters and stickers that were part of its ‘All In For Safe Schools’ campaign.
Teachers took down the signage before the start of the school year.
“For students already in a vulnerable population, for students that already have the risk of bullying, students have had an increased risk of suicidal thoughts,” Anita Carson, with Equality Florida, said. “These get worse if you remove visual support. Especially if they were prominent previously.”
The rainbow symbol in school classrooms represented a safe place for LGBTQ students. In a statement, the district said, “The purpose of the rebranding is to send a clear message to all students that the support available through the program is open to them and not limited to any specific student population.”
A representative said the change is consistent with updates made to the comprehensive student support guide, which Action News Jax reported on in May.
Staff members can volunteer to participate in ‘All In For Safe Schools’ and are trained to serve as a resource for students.
“The rebranding will also ensure that we uphold our standard of avoiding symbolism that could be interpreted as district speech associated with a specific social issue. Program materials such as posters, stickers and banners that could be interpreted as district speech are being removed and will be updated with the new branding,” A DCPS representative said.
It comes after the Parental Rights in Education, or the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill was signed into law. Carson said it sets the wrong precedent as schools statewide maneuver a gray area in the law.
“They are airing on the side of trying to doge lawsuits rather than airing on the side of trying to support kids,” she said.
Equality Florida asks that DCPS consider more community input from parents and families on these decisions.
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