After ‘Brown Pride’ protest at Caldwell High, ‘White Power’ is painted on school building

Students at Caldwell High School held a “Brown Pride” protest on Tuesday, about a month after a teenager was told to remove her hoodie because it had those words on it.

Two days later, Twitter users shared photos of Caldwell High’s campus, where someone had spray-painted “White Power” on the side of a building.

The incidents have caused an uproar in a district that’s already in the news because of a policy proposal on gender identity and sexual orientation, which has resulted in unruly school board meetings and the postponement of an upcoming public hearing.

Jessica Watts, Caldwell School District spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman in email that “the term ‘Brown Pride’ is associated with several street gangs currently operating in the Northwest,” and students may not wear clothing affiliated with gangs.

“Currently we have a recognized criminal street gang that call themselves the ‘Brown Pride Surenos’ or BPS,” Watts said in an email. “They are currently active in Caldwell and Nampa.”

The district also issued a statement on the graffiti. That incident is being investigated as a hate crime, according to officials.

“We will not tolerate hate in our city and will ensure that whoever is responsible for this will be held accountable for their actions,” said Rex Ingram, Caldwell’s police chief.

The protest arose after action was taken against Brenda Hernandez, a student at Caldwell High School, in December. Hernandez told the Statesman that the week before winter break, her principal and several teachers asked her to remove her “Brown Pride” hoodie or turn it inside out because others could find it “racist.” School staff compared it to wearing a “white pride” shirt, she said.

The Caldwell School District’s dress code states: Students are not to wear or carry items of apparel, clothing, accessories, cosmetics, tattoos – temporary and/or permanent, body markings, jewelry – including body piercings, which depict or allude to: drugs – including alcohol and tobacco; controlled substances; drug paraphernalia; gangs; violence; sexually explicit, lewd, indecent content; promoting or encouraging bullying.

Fred Betancourt, a Future Hispanic Leaders of America adviser at Caldwell High, told the Statesman in an email that Hernandez felt as if she was “accused of being a gangster” for wearing the shirt.

In an interview with KTVB, Caldwell High School Principal Anita Wilson said the dress code is purposefully strict.

“Caldwell has had a gang problem before, and ‘Brown Pride’ is associated with gangs,” she said.

Hernandez — who started a petition to change the dress code policy, gathering more than 400 signatures — said she is not part of a gang and simply wants to show pride in her Mexican-American heritage. She said the reaction from teachers and the principal felt like a violation of her rights.

Jeremy Woodson, spokesperson for ACLU of Idaho, told the Statesman that schools have the constitutional right to “maintain an environment that’s conducive to learning for all students” when it comes to clothing rules and requirements. But Woodson also said students don’t shed First Amendment rights when they arrive at school.

The Caldwell School District statement on the “Brown Pride” issue said students are encouraged “to use their voice and speak out about issues that may arise at their school. As a District, our goal is to provide a safe educational environment for all students where their voices can be heard.”

The store where Hernandez bought her hoodie, Jefitos Hats, is a family-owned business that sells Chicano-style apparel. The store opened in 1997 in Caldwell.

Sonny Ligas, co-owner of Jefitos Hats, told the Statesman that it’s “hurtful” for Caldwell schools to associate their merchandise with gangs.

“And it’s not right,” Ligas said in an interview. “What qualifies them to speculate on that? Are they gang members? Are they ex-gang members? Who educated them on that?”

Ligas said merchandise with the words “brown pride” refer to resistance and resilience in the Mexican American community.

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Hernandez posted a TikTok video of the protest on Tuesday. It showed a group of students with signs reading “Brown Pride” and “We refuse to lose and let our culture die.” The video also appeared to show a teacher refusing to let a student into her classroom after the protest.

Hernandez’s video went viral, with nearly 303,000 likes and 8,000 comments on TikTok.

The Caldwell Police Department and school district said in Thursday’s statement that the “White Power” vandalism happened at 1:15 a.m. on Thursday, with the perpetrators being four individuals in dark hoodies and face masks. A high school video camera captured the incident.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call 343-COPS or non-emergency dispatch at 454-7531.

“Make no mistake, this radicalized attack is a direct result of CHS administration and staff escalating the situation,” tweeted PODER of Idaho, an immigrant rights group in the Treasure Valley, along with a photo of the vandalism.

Woodson, of the ACLU, said most families in Caldwell and students in the school district likely would not agree with the high school administration’s idea that a shirt reading “brown pride” is no different than one with “white pride.”

Estefanía Mondragon, the executive director of PODER of Idaho, told the Statesman that comparing the two is patronizing and ignores historical racism.

“We know white power is not a friendly thing to say,” she said in an interview. “It’s not about cultural pride, it’s about dominance over people of color, as opposed to brown pride, which is something that is said in Mexican communities to show support for our culture and people.”

Mondragon said staff in the Caldwell School District need to have diversity, equity and inclusion training.

According to the most recent available data from the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Caldwell School District places third for the most Hispanic students in Idaho, with 3,638 in 2020, about 60% of the district’s student body.

“I would assume they would know U.S. history and the role that white power plays in violence against brown, black and indigenous communities, so that was a very ignorant thing to say from that teacher,” Mondragon said.

Woodson agreed, saying he would encourage the school district to examine the impacts its policies have on people of different cultures and backgrounds.

“It’s really important to make sure that communities who are impacted by these policies are also the ones that are at the center of discussions,” Woodson said.