Last week, teacher Sarah Ecke, who heads up the Gay Straight Alliance at Connetquot, was told by the administration that she had to remove the Progress Pride LGBTQ flag from her classroom. District officials claimed they acted in response to students’ complaints of “feeling uncomfortable” over the display of the flag.

This portion of the following statement was released by the superintendent of schools, Lynda G Adams: “This flag, which was at least twice the size of the American flag, was the Progress Pride flag. The teacher in this classroom was asked to remove the Progress flag. […] All of our children deserve a school where they are safe, comfortable and respected, regardless of what race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation they espouse to. By adhering to the letter of the policy, we can neutralize the environment, hopefully making the space feel safe and comfortable for all of our students.”

In response to this ban, hundreds attended the most recent Tuesday, Oct. 11 board meeting, held at the Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, to protest the flag ban. Prior to the meeting, Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement instructing the state Division of Human Rights to investigate the Connetquot schools.

“Gov. Hochul is committed to protecting the human rights of New Yorkers, and has directed the Division of Human Rights to investigate potential violations of Human Rights Law in this matter, consistent with the agency’s mandate,” the statement read.

During the meeting, about half a dozen students spoke in addition to over 60 speakers, the majority of which spoke against the ban, demanding the administration and board of education issue an apology and allow the removed flag to be restored to the classroom. The students also told the board they collected nearly 300 senior signatures in one day against the flag ban.

The president of the board, Jaclyn Napolitano-Furno, reiterated the super’s sentiments while also urging the crowd to remain respectful, or else the meeting would be paused or adjourned. At one point, due to loud comments and people speaking out of turn, she paused the meeting for 20 minutes.

The first speaker, teacher Anthony Felicio, addressed Napolitano-Furno personally for wearing a T-shirt that states respect should be earned, not demanded, which became a larger talking point throughout the entire three-hour-long meeting.

“As educators, it is our job to ensure safety and health of all our students,” he said, noting that the research clearly shows that the students are being negatively affected by not allowing the flag to stay up.

Napolitano-Furno continued to address the public, asking Felicio to not “troll” her on Facebook. Speakers were also asked not to discuss specific names of teachers or students as well as the specifics of which classroom was in question.

Another speaker went on to explain that the teacher was given the option to keep the traditional Pride flag and add a sign that stated the space was safe. However, she said, the teacher declined the compromise.

Marissa Freeman, senior student, spoke, and stated that she felt affected by the ban and said it was extremely harmful, also making reference to the petition signed by almost 300 seniors. Another senior named Jack said he was at a loss for words, explaining that the flag is not intended to be political; rather, it is a sign of unity. He went on to call the district a “cesspool.”

Tenth-grade student Ava Craig also spoke, asking the board to listen to the students and consider their mental health. Other students questioned which part of the flag was political: the people of color, trans people, intersex, or those who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. Senior Daniella Craig questioned if the Blue Lives Matter and MAGA senior-painted parking spots were to be removed as well, as part of this political action? The board president confirmed that the spots were painted over.

“All flags were painted over and addressed today because [there] couldn’t be a compromise,” she said.

Those who spoke for the ban requested respect for the American flag and cited BOE political policies.

Another speaker from the Gay Straight Alliance said the removal of the flag sent a clear message of exclusion. Other speakers urged the board to come to a better solution.