SCHOOL POLICE HAVE BLACK LIVES MATTER POSTERS CENSORED, STUDENTS PROTEST
Katey O’Connor is an English Language Arts teacher at Muncie Central High School in Indiana. As part of her unit teaching V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, a graphic novel about standing up to governmental oppression and fascism, O’Connor had a project option for students make posters about current political issues that matter to them. The posters ranged from discussing body image, child labor, racial inequality, and more. Many chose to focus on the Black Lives Matter protests: a timely and relevant topic for today’s teenagers. The posters were displayed outside a O’Connor’s classroom, where a school resource offer (SRO) took issue with them.
At least one student took video of the incident, where three school resource officers and O’Connor appeared to be having a heated debate about the nature of systemic racism in the U.S., though most of the conversation could not be heard. O’Connor had stepped in after hearing officers speaking to the student who made the poster and trying to debunk it, after which the student left. The observing students were uncomfortable with the officer’s criticism of O’Connor, the project, and the students’ messages.
Later, O’Connor was instructed that because of a statement by the attorney general, should would have to bring the posters in from the hallway, which would mean that only her own students would be able to easily view them.
Students organized a protest over the weekend, demonstrating on Monday with signs and chanting “Black Lives Matter.” They asked why only the posters dealing with anti-Black violence had been targeted. Students protested peacefully and had discussions with school administrators as well as school resource officers. Andy Klotz, chief communications officer for the school, acknowledged that the students brought up valid concerns and the school want students to feel heard.
https://bookriot.com/school-police-censor-blm-posters/
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