N.J. students walk out as they demand right to fly the LGBTQ+ Pride flag - nj.com

2022-04-02 06:45:10 By : Ms. Sanya Chen

Students in Passaic demonstrate March 28 against the Board of Education's new policy allowing only the American, New Jersey state and school flags to be flown, prohibiting the flying of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Passaic students hit the streets Monday to protest a new Board of Education policy that prohibits them from raising the LGBTQ+ Pride banner like they did last year.

About 40 students, some draped in the rainbow flag and others wrapped in blankets, marched in the bitter cold to demand the board rescind its policy that allows only the American flag, the state flag and the school flag to be flown. Students stood in front of the city’s three public high schools urging their classmates to join them on the sidewalk – then continued the protest at the board meeting on Monday night.

“It should not have come to this,” Roxanna Lopez, 14, told the trustees. “Students out of school protesting in cold weather.”

The protest, which is the second demonstration against the board policy this month, began just before 2 p.m. when students gathered on the steps of Passaic PREP. The students then marched next door to Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering, then three blocks to Passaic High School, as the march grew to about 75 students.

“Walk out! Walk out!” the demonstrators chanted. Many of their classmates stood at windows, offering a thumbs up, but only a handful joined the march.

“Raise our flag! Raise our flag!” the students chanted, as Passaic police and school security provided an escort to ensure safety. The demonstrators stayed on the sidewalk as they made their way to City Hall and the board of education building downtown.

“We’re not going to stop until we get what we want,” said Amari Gawthney, who grabbed a bullhorn and led the demonstrators on the march to City Hall. “We put up the flag last year with no problem. Then this new policy came from out of the blue, and they pushed it under the rug, actually.”

Students in Passaic demonstrate March 28 against the Board of Education's new policy allowing only the American, New Jersey state and school flags to be flown, prohibiting the flying of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Passaic students hoisted the rainbow flag on school grounds for the first time last June to celebrate Pride month, New Jersey’s recognition of LGBTQ+ people and the struggle for equality. There was no policy in place when the Pride flag went up last year, and some people in Passaic made what board vice chairman L. Daniel Rodriguez termed “inquiries” as to who authorized it.

The board then realized it had no policy on flag raising – and to sidestep the potential for any future controversies, it enacted a blanket ban in November – the exception being the American flag, the New Jersey state flag and any school flag.

The board maintains the policy was adopted in a spirit of fairness. The students say it is discriminatory, and with two months before Pride month, want the board to rescind it.

Students stop at the Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering to encourage fellow students to walk out and join the march.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

“They disrespected us as a community,” said Jaylie Barrett, a senior at Passaic PREP. “Why did they change the policy? They won’t tell us why.”

Students brought their grievance to the board of education meeting on Monday night. Several trustees have indicated they are willing to change the policy, but thus far, no consensus has emerged.

The students had an ally in Peter T. Rosario, a former Passaic board of education trustee.

“Your job is not to hurt the kids, first and foremost,” he said. “There are hard decisions to make (as a member of the board.) This is not one of them. Rescind the policy.”

The trustees listened, but did not comment. They’ve previously said they would review the policy, but there have been no public promises to change it.

Board President Christina Schratz would not predict the outcome, but would only say that the the board “will continue the conversation about the policy.”

“I’m all for seeing what we can do as a district,” she said. “I am very grateful that they express their concerns. This is the way democracy works.”

Another student, Jared Guevara, 15, also made a pitch for democracy. Come election day, “I’d like to see you all thrown out of office,” he told the board.

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Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com.

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