For the first time, the full School Committee debated a proposed flag policy on March 20, with members expressing differing views and deciding to ask the district’s legal counsel additional questions before settling on a plan.
The most recent draft policy allows only the U.S., state, and POW/MIA flags on school property and gives the School Committee sole authority to determine any other flags, banners and symbolic displays on district property. It excludes input from students, administrators and the community. The draft policy could lead to the removal of Pride flags and Black Lives Matter and Juneteenth banners in schools.
A group of Marblehead High School students, who say the Pride and Black Lives Matter signs are important to make marginalized students feel welcome in Marblehead, submitted a counterproposal, vetted by attorneys, that would give students a say in deciding which flags and banners can go up inside buildings.
Thursday’s meeting was the first time several members of the School Committee weighed in on the controversy.
Al Williams said he opposed the current draft policy, which could lead to the removal of Pride flags and Black Lives Matter and Juneteenth banners in schools.
Williams initially voiced support for the students’ plan, which would allow input from students, administrators and the community. School Committee Chair Jenn Schaeffner shared concerns from the lawyer that once the process is opened to people beyond the committee, free speech issues become involved, meaning the district could be legally required to display any flags brought forward, no matter how offensive to some.
Later, Williams told the Current, “I’m hoping that the superintendent, as our agent, can be that source of flag/banner requests. And John (Robidoux) could manage getting student voice to be part of that process.”
School Committee member Brian Ota spoke in favor of the more restrictive policy.
He said many people may be comfortable with the Pride flag, but “for religious people who believe in traditional family values … and the rainbow flag doesn’t support them and they can’t say it out loud because they would get backlash.”
Cameron Wolfson, who with her wife has two young children in Marblehead, reacted to Ota’s remarks.
“As a parent in an LGBTQ family, I was deeply unsettled by the suggestion that ‘traditional values’ are at odds with the Pride flag. My wife and I moved to Marblehead because we believed this was a community that embraced respect, inclusion and compassion — the very values I was taught growing up attending mass at Star of the Sea Church. Rhetoric that casts LGBTQ kids and families as outsiders is harmful and only underscores the need for more symbols of inclusion, not fewer. The Pride flag doesn’t exclude anyone; it affirms that all students, no matter their background or family structure, are valued and supported.”
Robidoux said the flag issue needs “a little bit more work” and “a little bit more discussion.”
“We need to move forward mindfully because there are going to be ramifications… How do we make sure kids feel like they belong?” he said.
Robidoux continued, “My opinion as an educator and administrator is that flags and banners that have educational relevance when aligned with our curriculum and our values, I think there’s value there.”
Gesturing to the School Committee, Robidoux added, “At the end of the day, as superintendent, they’re my boss. I’m responsible for making sure the policies are enforced whether I agree with them or not. I’m in a really strange position.”
Member Sarah Fox said, “I don’t know what the answer is. I’m having a really hard time with this.”
She expressed concern that allowing some flags (other than those representing the state, U.S. and Marblehead) would open the district up to having to allow all flags, and could lead to litigation.
“All means all,” she repeated several times.
School Committee member Alison Taylor, who was attending the meeting on Zoom, left before the flag discussion began.
Several community members, including MHS junior Liv Niles, spoke in favor of the students’ compromise plan. One attorney, Brenton Speed, said the more restrictive policy could open the town to legal threats.
In the end, Schaeffner agreed to take the questions and concerns raised by committee members to the attorney for further clarification and bring that information back to her colleagues.
Antisemitism report update
Robidoux also spoke about his participation in a Hadassah webinar on antisemitism in schools and announced that the district’s $25,000 outside investigation into antisemitism in Marblehead schools is complete, but he postponed reporting on it until the next meeting in two weeks.
A long-anticipated outside report on the district’s special education services will also be delivered soon, he said.
Young leaders
At the beginning of the meeting, the Brown School Leadership Council presented to the School Committee.
“They are amazing third graders, we’re very, very proud of them,” said Brown Principal Mary Maxfield.
The Leadership Council is made up of 10 students, and its goals include helping people, teamwork, trying new things, fairness for all and listening to others.
The students spoke about a “kindness and justice wall” they’ve built at school with paper bricks. Each brick includes a message about how to help others and ensure that all voices at Brown are heard.
