A Colorado school district could soon let teachers fly Black Lives Matter and transgender flags in the classroom, but not make other political statements.
The Durango School District 9-R&#8217;s school board is set to consider two resolutions that support displaying the &#8220;Progress Pride&#8221; and BLM flags in classrooms and double down on DEI and gender ideology. The district banned all political flags in September, when a parent <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250105162610/https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/durango-schools-ban-black-lives-matter-trans-specific-pride-flags/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a complaint claiming the BLM and transgender “Pride Progress” flags in their child’s classroom are &#8220;political symbols&#8221; that &#8220;indoctrinate students.&#8221;
Chief Academic Officer Dylan Connell reviewed the situation with legal counsel and determined that the &#8220;Pride Progress&#8221; and BLM symbols are “political in nature.” He directed school staff to remove the flags and all other political content “immediately.” On October 1, principals at the high school and middle school told staff that “political flags, posters and items displaying political symbols” must be removed from classrooms in response to a parental complaint.
But just two weeks later, the school board <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250102230720/https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/durango-school-board-reverses-ban-on-trans-specific-pride-black-lives-matter-flags/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> unanimously to suspend the ban on the flags amid an outcry from the liberal area&#8217;s residents, including a student walkout. Then, at a November school board meeting, board members <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241231183932/https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/durango-school-board-may-consider-action-to-sanction-certain-flags/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> they thought a special resolution might give them a legal loophole to display the progressive flags without opening the door to all political speech or violating the First Amendment.
&#8220;By designating it government speech and adopting [them] as symbols of our school district, it avoids a First Amendment problem,” board member Rick Petersen said.
Essentially, the school district itself would be endorsing the &#8220;Progress Pride&#8221; and BLM flags rather than simply allowing teachers to display them.
Denver Public Schools <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250105200710/https://www.coloradopolitics.com/courts/federal-judge-dismisses-denver-parents-lawsuit-seeking-straight-pride-flag-display/article_2c351eb4-7ee3-11ef-a4c4-3f644b322a60.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> a legal battle using a similar argument last year when a judge ruled that a pride flag in a classroom was the district&#8217;s own speech, so the First Amendment did not apply. A parent had complained that the pride flag was discriminatory, since the school did not also display a &#8220;straight pride&#8221; flag.
The fear of a &#8220;straight lives matter&#8221; flag came up during the Durango school board&#8217;s meeting when a student <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfkMRg6f_CE&amp;t=5520s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> what they would do if someone wanted to display such a flag.
&#8220;You just say no, and if they want to sue us then we&#8217;ll see what the courts say,&#8221; a board member responded.
The district now <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241229162203/https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/durango-school-board-unveils-proposed-flag-resolutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has</a> two resolutions on the table that would allow teachers to display both the &#8220;Progress Pride&#8221; and BLM flags.
The pride flag <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/co/dsd/Board.nsf/files/DBSRLP6E8A9C/$file/LGBTQ%20IA2S%2B%20Resolution%20-%20DRAFT%20(1).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> claims that &#8220;affirming gender identity&#8221; is one of the &#8220;most effective mental health interventions&#8221; for trans-identifying children despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europe-dialing-back-shocking-policies-on-transgender-kids-and-medical-intervention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mounting</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/weak-evidence-britains-nhs-to-review-all-transgender-treatment-after-major-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushback</a> from medical professionals.
It also doubles down on &#8220;honoring&#8221; a student&#8217;s self-reported gender identity, saying it &#8220;will not wait&#8221; for the &#8220;acceptance&#8221; of &#8220;outside adults,&#8221; presumably parents. The resolution also says the district &#8220;does not require parental consent&#8221; to be in their school&#8217;s LGBT club, and emphasizes that the district supports trans-identifying students using the bathroom of the opposite sex.
The BLM flag <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/co/dsd/Board.nsf/files/DBSRM46E9A5D/$file/BLM%20Resolution%20-%20DRAFT%20(1).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> doubles down on the district&#8217;s 2021 DEI resolution and states that &#8220;addressing systemic inequities&#8221; does not &#8220;diminish the value, rights, inclusion, or educational opportunities of other students.&#8221;
&#8220;The Black Lives Matter movement, like the civil rights and Black Power movements before it, has effectively articulated the systemic injustices that exist at the intersections of race, class, and gender,&#8221; the second resolution reads.
The resolutions appear to be drafted by Kristin Smith, the board&#8217;s <a href="https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=458611&amp;type=d&amp;pREC_ID=1035718" target="_blank" rel="noopener">president</a>, and Erika Brown, the vice president.
The Colorado Republican Party&#8217;s vice chairwoman has voiced strong opposition to the resolutions.
The LGBT resolution “blatantly disregards students who hold religious, cultural, or personal beliefs that conflict with LGBTQIA2S+ ideologies,” <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241229162203/https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/durango-school-board-unveils-proposed-flag-resolutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> vice chairwoman Hope Scheppelman, who is also the secretary of the county party.
“These students and families are effectively told they don’t matter,” Scheppelman said.
The school board is expected to consult with the district&#8217;s lawyers this month before considering formally adopting the resolutions.
Last week, the Trump administration took an axe to DEI initiatives, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-everything-trump-did-his-first-week-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrapping</a> all government DEI programs and putting their staff on leave.
As the flag controversy was going on, the Durango school district was dealing with another crisis — one of its teachers was accused of sexually abusing dozens of local children.
In October, Benjamin Smith, 28, a music teacher at one of the district&#8217;s middle schools was arrested and <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr/durango-teacher-charged-coercion-and-enticement-minor-possession-child-pornography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with 48 counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography, including sexually explicit photographs of more than two dozen children in the Durango area, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241107172952/https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/police-seek-potential-victims-involving-former-escalate-middle-school-teacher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a federal indictment.
Smith was <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/durango-teacher-indicted/73-f88f91e7-09e9-424b-929d-a0a55c019eb3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of posing as a 16-year-old girl on Snapchat and getting a teenager to meet him in a parking lot for sex. The teen met Smith, but then reported him to the police.

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Colorado School Board Could Allow Teachers To Fly BLM, Transgender Flags In Classroom

CONTINUE READING

Your Child’s School Might Still Be Pushing Transgender Ideology Despite Trump’s Orders

Trump Says MSNBC Changed Name Because It’s ‘Ashamed’

Plant-Based Beyond Meat Denies It’s Filing For Bankruptcy Amid Falling Sales

Democrats Love Citing This One Climate Change Study. Turns Out It’s All Bogus.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Proposes Law To Involuntarily Commit Drug Addicts

The Feds Took Over The DC Police In The 90s, Too. Here’s How That Went.

News

Colorado

Education

LGBT

LGBTQ

Public Schools

Trump Administration

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

Colorado School Board Could Allow Teachers To Fly BLM, Transgender Flags In Classroom