The Connetquot School District held their Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the controversial Pride flag hung in a High School Teacher’s classroom. Several students complained about the flag last week.
Prior to the beginning of the meeting, a rally, hosted by David Kilmnick, CEO of the LGBT Network, was held at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School. Protesters chanted at ongoing traffic, wove their pride flags and expressed their pride for their community. Different banners and signs read “Hate has no place here” and “Moms against pride flag bans.”
Supporters and opposers of the Pride flag filled the auditorium.
And then the expected question arose: “How can a flag be controversial?”
The classic pride flag is a rainbow, the progressive pride flag has stripes for black people, transgender people and AIDS victims. The classic pride flag was approved in the past, but the progressive pride flag is not accepted by the district.
Kilmnick spoke on the state lawsuit proving a violation of the 1st and 14th Amendments. He said Hochul is looking to investigate violations of the DASA by the school district. Because of the litigation, he was not allowed to speak on school property, and he was moved to the edge of the property.
Others spoke up about their concerns regarding parking spaces decorated with a Blue Lives Matter Flag and a MAGA flag, as well as what Kilmnick described as a neo-confederate symbol. Jackie Napolitano, BOE member said that the “displays of art” were to be, or are, removed.
Long Island Loud Majority founder, Shawn Farash, notable for his conservative beliefs and organizing the 2020 Trump parades, was in attendance but did not speak. A member of the audience heckled him and was accused of being a “child predator.” Farash left before the adjournment.
Nine students, 5 alumni and a few teachers spoke. Some highlights of their speeches included:
• “Teaching a touchy subject does not equal indoctrination”
• Keeping the flag up is a “life-saving issue.”
• “The flag up is suicide prevention.”
• “Black, trans, and gay rights are under contest.”
• “Take it down and you are declaring open season on my child,” the
mother of a lesbian/non-binary student said
A Connetquot alumni of 2015 claimed that he had no “safe space” while in school. He said he is a mental health clinician for the LGBT Network and offered counseling to students who feel they need it.
There are various laws discussing the American flag and what is and isn’t respectful.
Certain speakers said that no flags should be flown next to or above the American flag and others stated that the pride flag being twice the size of the American flag was unconstitutional.
The meeting concluded before all of the 67 speakers were able to voice their opinion with three uncalled. The final speaker said that Napolitano was a part of the Long Island Loud Majority “cult” which caused a spiral of chaos.
The school board lost control of their audience.
