Some Vt. EWSD members push back against BLM flag

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. | Some of Vermont's Essex-Westford School Board (EWSD) members are pushing back against flying the controversial Black Lives Matter flag at district schools. The BLM flag is flying at several schools in the Green Mountain State. According to a Sept. 22 online news report by the Vermont Daily Chronicle, three additional school board members, of the 10 member board, backed up board BLM flag opponent Elizabeth Cady this week. Despite those board members being opposed to flying the racially charged flag, the full board never-the-less voted to continue flying the flag in the district. "According to school board bylaws, the votes of Westford board members each count as only half a vote," accroding to Daily Chronicle's editor Guy Page. "The 'no' votes were Elizabeth Cady and Jack Behlendorf (both of Essex), and Westford board members Andre Roy and Scott Cooledge." The BLM flag is dividing stakeholders within the Essex-Westford School District. While approving the BLM flag for now, the board said that it will revisit whether to fly the flag or not, again, next year. Opposition by Cady, Behlendork, Roy, and Cooledge apparently made an impression on the board, as it had originally said that the flag would be permitted to fly "indefinitely" in the district. Earlier this month, Cady sent a letter to fellow board members about the decision to fly the BLM flag. "The Black Lives Matter organization... has currently on its website to defund the police, to abolish the state of Israel... (it is) overtly partisan," she wrote. "The flag that flies at all of our schools is the organization's flag, so every school in EWSD stands for everything that this organization represents. The BLM organization certainly does not hold the trademark in teaching children to not be racist and should not be treated as such... ." Established in 2017, EWSD serves approximately 4,000 students (pre-K to 12) in Essex Town, Essex Junction, and Westford. The district's Facebook page declares its teachers are "growing hearts and minds, for a better today and tomorrow: every day, every way, everyone."

Signup for our newsletter

Some Vt. EWSD members push back against BLM flag

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS