A publicly funded school that primarily serves homeschooling families in the predominantly conservative Mat-Su area has posted LGBTQ-themed signs on campus grounds.
As of last week, Mat-Su Central had posted at least two rainbow-emblazoned signs announcing that it is a “Diverse, Inclusive, Accepting, Welcoming, Safe Space for Everyone.”
Amazon sells identical signs online, describing them as LGBTQ messaging that can be used in classrooms and nurseries.
One of the notices was tacked to Mat-Su Central’s large bulletin board, near the main entrance. The other was taped to the front doors of the school library.
Signs with this exact wording have sparked heated controversy in several school districts across the country with critics saying they provide LGBTQ activists a way to signal to students and educators that schools are on board with affirming alternative sexualities and gender expressions.
Last month, a West Virginia principal ordered identically worded signs to be removed from inside an area high school, because they violated district policy against displaying material that advocates for political or social issues.
The Mat-Su School District has a similar policy, passed this summer, which prohibits school employees from using school time or resources to promote “activist” causes. It’s unclear whether a Mat-Su Central employee posted the sign, but it was displayed in multiple locations.
The Watchman sent a series of emails to Mat-Su Central Principal Stacey McIntosh to get clarification on how the signs were approved for public display, and to clarify whether the school provided, printed and displayed the notices, or whether they were submitted by an outside group.
McIntosh said the signs were provided by a “member of the Mat-Su Central school community,” but did not indicate if this person was an employee of the school. She added that the school’s protocol allows staff and students to display various types of information.
“Legally speaking this is referred to as a ‘limited public forum’ with regard to both staff and students and their freedom of speech and expression,” she noted. “Establishing limited public forums in schools is consistent with the opinion of the United States Supreme Court which has for over 40 years repeatedly held that First Amendment protections extend to ‘teachers and students,’ neither of whom ‘shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.'”
Citing a 1969 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court (Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District), McIntosh said she uses a basic rule when approving or denying displays submitted by staff and students who wish to post information on bulletin boards, walls or doors. “[P]ublic schools may prohibit on-campus speech unaffiliated with curriculum only insofar as it substantially interferes with or disrupts the educational environment, or interferes with the rights of other students,” she quoted from Tinker, adding that her “administration’s ‘approval standard’ only considers if the person’s constitutional right of free speech or expression would create a disruption to the educational environment or interfere with the rights of other students.”
McIntosh claimed, “None of the signs currently displayed in MSCS meet the threshold whereby a person’s right to freedom of expression or speech could be prohibited.”
This is not the first time a Mat-Su school has posted LGBTQ messages on school grounds. Last fall, a school psychologist, Jacob Balaskovits, urged educators at several elementary schools to encourage students in their beliefs that they are gay, bi-sexual or transgender by posting rainbow-symbol stickers around campus. These symbols, he said, let students know that educators will “affirm their chosen or shared names, pronouns, or other identities.” He also told teachers to refer students to “someone in the school who they can talk to more.”
27 Comments
I wonder how many families will jump ship from MSC now. While our kids homeschool through this program we don’t participate in many on campus activities for this reason.
Sadly this isn’t surprising. I think they should loose the support of many if they have decided to join thw public school realm.
Hopefully more families decide to plant their flag of faith higher than the rainbow flags and stop retreating or running away from these other folks who keep stealing mile after mile. Stand your ground.
V
Do you think it’s time that Christian folks, particularly those who have a stake in the game like say a child, or money in the form of taxes ( we all have a vested interest)ought to figure out how to influence, defend, fight, take back, move forward, etc, in this game we’ve been losing at for so long? Your comments alluded to these ideals. What is the primary problem here and what do you suggest be done to move in a more productive direction?
One key phrase; “Publically Funded” = Tax $$$$ .. That was one of the main reasons that the “Public Schools” accelerated downhill.. Once the federal government baited them into the “Here is some free money” scheme, the feds then said; “You will now do as we say”, and the schools didn’t want to give up the free tax dollars.
It’s so wrong to provide a welcoming safe space.
Providing a welcoming space need not be politicized. A simple sign staring “Welcome, We are happy you are here!” includes everyone with focusing specifically on one group which the featured sign does.
Do you have a problem with diverse and inclusive and accepting? They sound like admirable concepts to me. Y’all focus on gay and trans but every student has some issue with the peer standards imposed on them. All those words in the multicolored sign helps all students, especially those near crisis.
You probably never would have become the mentally ill festering sore that you are if good kids and caring normal adults had made it abundantly clear that your degenerate conduct was unacceptable in your formative years, Pablo.
I wonder if other messaging as expressions of free speech would be allowed on the bulletin board… like “The God who created you loves you.” That doesn’t infringe on others’ right to free speech any more than this sign does. Somehow I don’t think it would get the same approval from the Principal. Worth a try— it’ll either expose the hypocrisy or if allowed, it will be proof that freedom of speech is valued for all at the school and not just 1-sided.
What many don’t realize is that flag and those words of “inclusion” automatically make many feel displaced in the school if they don’t agree with everything the rainbow flag stands for politically and culturally. Rather than creating a welcoming environment for all, it achieves an environment for many that “ideas opposed to this ARE NOT welcome here.” It alienates many.
First, religion in school is a vastly different issue. Second, inclusion eliminates displaced. Why can’t Christians leave people to their own cultures ? Christians seem desperate to keep their bubble small and tight.
The point and purpose of an education is to educate. Not infiltrate. Your concept of inclusion is delusional and your comparison between Inclusion and religion is like Swiss cheese.
On another note. I rebuke your constant attack on believers and I pray for your repentance and acceptance of the Lord as your Savior every time I read your comments.
We Christian’s will leave you to yourself. But first you have to stop shoving this BS LGBTQ on us.
(especially those near crisis) which are the sick people living an evil life style.
Lucinda, if this is truly an issue of allowing individuals (staff and students) the right to freedom of expression as stated by the Principal, then it’s inconsistent to say that LGBTQIAetcetc flags and politicized loaded language in the guise of “tolerance” is approved free speech on campus but an expression regarding God is not. It’s not, after all, official school teaching or a position being advanced by the school itself now, is it? No, no, no! It’s only respecting the individual expressions of the students and staff. So, ok. If one is allowed, so must be the other. After all, Me saying God loves you doesn’t harm you. Why can’t you allow me the same expression of a harmless statement that’s all about love and inclusion— God loves everyone, after all — that you want to claim for yourself? Because the idea of God makes you uncomfortable? Funny, you’re not concerned about those who are made uncomfortable by the rainbow flag. I’m at least being consistent. Freedom of expression should extend to everyone. Or divisive speech should be allowed by nobody. Take your pick.
We will when you stop using our tax money for promoting leftist crap. We arent allowed to take our tax money to a private school so why should this crap be allowed in public schools. We can solve this by giving people the right have a voucher to use in any school they want. Then the public schools would suddenly have to comply or starve.
That is disappointing. A simple sign saying something like “Welcome! We are happy you are here!” would suffice instead of the gross politicization.
We all know if a child chooses to object to that garbage, they will be made an example of, so the other children know to stay in line and be quiet.
You have to get them when they are young, to influence the next generations to comply, with anything Unlce/Aunty Sam/Big Brother dictates.
The job if any academic institution is to educate. Not infiltrate.
Sadly this isn’t surprising. I think they should loose the support of many if they have decided to join thw public school realm.
Not long ago Christian and more conservative families were praising Matsu for advertising they can take Anchorage Partnership families and respect their values how allotment money is used. You all are learning what I already had learned the state school district running the homeschools have leftist employees running it. Eventually the same public educators that parents ran away from you eventually will have to deal with them in the public homeschools, online learning, and private schools cause these Leftists are people who need jobs too and can see more families and money are flowing into homeschool, online distant learning, anc private schools. Running away doesn’t reduce the problem. It’s obvious the supervisor and manager of a matsu central are leftists to approve their staff member’s idea.
In response to above response to my comment. No Lucinda, you focus on gay and trans. Most of us just see people.
Mr Sally. You could use a dose of welcome and acceptance. Something big has set you against the world. It keeps you on simmer. Others are less cuz they aren’t like you. First flip them the bird, then squawk at school board meetings how restricting book access is really FREEDOM, then let’s think about the Second Amendment. In other words, you are a supporter of all things Trump. It means you have no solutions, you are mean and irresponsible. You’ve got a rifle in the arctic entry. You fit right in with the Mat-Su population.
[I feel better, thanks for asking]
Good grief, I feel sorry for y’all
There is more concern at that school right now about the expansion, new building and inclusion vs. operational grading or reimbursement systems for parents and age-appropriate library options for students.
fedupwithleftistBS: Diverse, Inclusive, Accepting, Welcoming Safe Space for Everyone. None of these word Leftist. If your 16 yo daughter got pregnant, where would she turn for advice? Maybe you and your wife but maybe not if the inseminator was a family member. Would she like to find a peer group that would welcome her and accept her? Or is it better to be shunned cuz she didn’t follow some Christian social restriction on her intimate behavior. Maybe lead to an alley abortion. What if one of your hunting buddies was Islamic? Would you welcome and accept him?
Homosexuality is immoral and a sin. Why the hell is a place that is supposedly teaching children, promoting immorality and sin to those children?
These teachers are homosexual groomers, turning children into sexual perverts.