Pride Rally participants denounce hate incident at Falls Church High School
As Fairfax County Public Schools celebrates Pride Month, a recent incident at Falls Church High School shows LBGTQ hate is still with us.
Falls Church Principal Ben Nowak sent an email to the community June 6 stating that a student recorded a video in which he admitted to stealing a pride flag from the school grounds and then burning it while another young person is heard using homophobic and hate-filled language toward the LGBTQ+ community.
In another recent incident, antisemitic and homophobic graffiti was painted on the “spirit rock” outside West Potomac High School in Alexandria.
FCPS Pride leader Robert Rigby condemned such hateful incidents at a rally June 15 outside Luther Jackson Middle School before a school board meeting. At the meeting, the board proclaimed June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month at FCPS.
At the Pride Rally Against Hate, Rigby called the two recent incidents the “tip of the iceberg to a growing swell of animosity toward all vulnerable communities – disabled folks, Black folk, queer folk,” WTOP reported.
“We want to be clear that in Fairfax County Public Schools, and here at Falls Church High School, we will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our schools,” Nowak wrote in the email to the community. “We have made a commitment that any time these situations arise, we will share them with our school community to send a clear message that we denounce these actions.”
“Each and every student in FCHS has the right to feel safe and affirmed in our school. June is Pride Month, when we recognize the resilience and determination of the many individuals who are fighting to live freely and authentically,” Nowak said.
He said the school is partnering with the FCPS Equity Office on dialogues within the school community “about dignity, humanization, and belonging.”
FCPS is developing a system for tracking hate and bias incidents.
Since the dawn of time, teenagers have made bad choices. This is simply another one. With understanding and patience, these kids will come to see the realities of their actions. Learning moment.
Burning a flag is not hate, it is freedom of speech. This is based on court cases that have said that burning the American Flag is not criminal but a protected expression of free speech. That being said, the student did commit theft and destruction of school property. However, it is not hate speech.
Is this not hate speech – “while another young person is heard using homophobic and hate-filled language toward the LGBTQ+ community.” Seems like the accomplice was filled with hate speech.