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Missouri teacher who displayed Pride Flag resigns after parent complains

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Missouri Teacher Who Displayed Pride Flag Resigns After Parent Complains (insider.com)

  • Missouri teacher John Wallis resigned after he was threatened with termination for displaying a pride flag in his classroom.
  • A parent complained about Wallis, saying he "would potentially teach their child to be gay," NBC News reported.
  • After resigning, Wallis filed a civil rights complaint for employment discrimination.

Several students thanked Wallis, NBC reported.

"They said: 'Thank you for having the flag up. I wouldn't know where else to go,'" Wallis said, according to NBC.

When Wallis was called in to meet with school administrators, he was told that a parent called the school, concerned that Wallis "would potentially teach their child to be gay," NBC News reported. The administrators, one of whom compared the pride flag to a confederate flag, according to NBC, told Wallis to remove the flag and signs. He did.

"This of course prompted students to ask why, and I answered truthfully while expressing that, if students had a problem with who I was, there were other open classes," Wallis tweeted. "This led to three or more calls from parents accusing me of pushing my agenda in the classroom."

Wallis added on Twitter that he was asked to sign a letter agreeing to not "discuss human sexuality or my own personal sexuality in the classroom."

The letter further said that if Wallis was "unable to present the curriculum in a manner that keeps your personal agenda on sexuality out of your narrative and the classroom discussions, we will ultimately terminate your employment," according to NBC, who viewed the letter.

Wallis signed the letter but then resigned the following day, NBC reported. On Twitter, Wallis said the letter "was the reason for my resignation."

"Indeed, it appears that there is a different set of rules if you are an LGBTQ+ educator," Wallis tweeted. "There is never a problem when a heterosexual teacher displays pictures of themselves and their spouses in a classroom, but I have a flag and all hell breaks loose."

Wow, it's almost like the whole country is going backwards.

The teacher filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
From the article:

When Wallis was called in to meet with school administrators, he was told that a parent called the school, concerned that Wallis "would potentially teach their child to be gay," NBC News reported. The administrators, one of whom compared the pride flag to a confederate flag, according to NBC, told Wallis to remove the flag and signs. He did.

Yes, we all know the ever present danger of teaching children to be gay. I am sure that if no one taught them that they could never figure it out for themselves.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
The flag is a political statement. Schools are not meant to be political. Any political statement would be a violation and should not be allowed.
We have flags here.
I forget who it was here recently who said this, but it was accurate in that we have a flag fetish here.
Ribbons amd flags: America forgot how to express itself without those.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
He has started a lawsuit, and it very easily could go badly for the school district:

“The problem I have with it, obviously, is that it’s specific to me, and as an openly gay man that seems a bit discriminatory because if you’re a straight teacher, you can talk about your spouse, your kids, you can have a picture of your family in the classroom, but I have a flag and then all of a sudden there’s a problem. You know, it didn’t make any sense,” Wallis said.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article254077203.html

If they are treating gay people and straight people differently in this aspect they could be in trouble since the school allegedly forced him to sign a statement that he would not discuss his sexuality.. If they do not treat straight people the same I predict a loss.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
He has started a lawsuit, and it very easily could go badly for the school district:

“The problem I have with it, obviously, is that it’s specific to me, and as an openly gay man that seems a bit discriminatory because if you’re a straight teacher, you can talk about your spouse, your kids, you can have a picture of your family in the classroom, but I have a flag and then all of a sudden there’s a problem. You know, it didn’t make any sense,” Wallis said.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article254077203.html

If they are treating gay people and straight people differently in this aspect they could be in trouble since the school allegedly forced him to sign a statement that he would not discuss his sexuality.. If they do not treat straight people the same I predict a loss.
That's how a lot of conservative Christians want it. Straight couples are ok to have pictures of their spouse and talk about their families but then want gay couples to shut up about it and show no pictures and make no references to it.
 

epronovost

Well-Known Member
The only flags allowed in public school classrooms should be civic flags.

Why?

What's wrong with the "Pride flag"? It's not like the US government has officially recognized and forbidden discrimination towards member of the LGBTQ community and recognized (at least on paper) to their full equality and humanity. Plus, it's not like schools don't have flags associated with their sport teams or some flags linked to seasonal holidays.
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
Why?

What's wrong with the "Pride flag"? It's not like the US government has officially recognized and forbidden discrimination towards member of the LGBTQ community and recognized (at least on paper) to their full equality and humanity. Plus, it's not like schools don't have flags associated with their sport teams or some flags linked to seasonal holidays.
Because it's a political flag. A straight pride flag would be equally inappropriate.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Because it's a political flag. A straight pride flag would be equally inappropriate.
Not to mention it represents a very specific group, not even all gay or trans people. I don't want anything to do with that flag or what it stands for, and it took me forever to convince my bf I'm actually not a lesbian. Lmao. I'm a bisexual and I want nothing to do with the LGBT movement or its silly flags.
 
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VoidCat

Pronouns: he/him/they/them
A pride flag can make LGBT students feel safe in the classroom. At least it did for me as a teen and it didn't seem political to me
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
A pride flag can make LGBT students feel safe in the classroom. At least it did for me as a teen and it didn't seem political to me
The problem is that they shouldn't feel unsafe in the first place and shouldn't need flags to make them feel safe. I never felt unsafe being an open bisexual at school and I wasn't. So this is clearly another issue, I think.
 
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