New Hanover school board adopts policy limiting what teachers can display in classrooms

Policy changes made by the New Hanover County Board of Education will limit what teachers can display in their classrooms.

The changes apply to displays in classrooms, school buildings, school grounds and buses. Only materials that represent the United States, the state of North Carolina, New Hanover County, the school name, the school mascot, and the approved curriculum will be allowed.

Policies 7300, staff responsibilities, and 3200, selection of instructional materials, were temporarily approved at Tuesday night's school board with the new language until the policies can go before the policy committee and receive public input.

Board members react

Board member Pat Bradford, who introduced the discussion at Tuesday's meeting, described the decision to temporarily adopt the changes as a need to address "an emergency situation" due to pro-Palestine protests across the country. She referenced the situation that occurred at the the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where protestors took down the American flag.

"I could see that this was coming," Bradford said, "that we would have a need to strengthen what our policies are."

Bradford described a lot of what she has seen happening across the country as "anti-American." She did not give an example of any similar instances in New Hanover County Schools, but said that the decision would be a deterrent.

Board member Hugh McManus said he didn't want the school board to overreact to a situation that occurred in Chapel Hill.

Board member Josie Barnhart sided with Bradford, saying she felt that the schools did not need to be a place of activism.

More: A revised New Hanover school policy restricts what teachers can talk about. Here's what it says.

Board member Stephanie Walker expressed strong opposition to the temporary policy changes because she felt it would restrict people's speech, which is protected under the First Amendment.

Walker also opposed the way that the policy was brought to the board as an emergency policy change.

"The proper way is you do it through policy committee, you have a discussion, you allow the public to weigh in on it," Walker said.

Board member Stephanie Kraybill said she had a hard time with the policy changes because it could also limit materials in the classrooms such as inspirational quotes, photos of teachers and their family members, and any other materials that could be supportive to students.

"I think this is just another way to impose some people's personal feelings on a lot of different things and we're piling it onto our educators who we are trying so desperately to keep in the classroom," Kraybill said.

Board members Melissa Mason, Pete Wildeboer, Bradford and Barnhart voted in favor of the emergency policy changes. Kraybill, Walker and McManus voted against the changes.

What happens next?

The temporary limitations will be effective immediately, but the policies will go through the policy committee to receive formal review. Then, the policies would have to go before the board again for final adoption.

The next policy committee meeting is May 21 and the next regular board meeting is June 4.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover school board decision limits displays in classrooms