JAY — Concerns about a posting on a school’s Facebook page made by a school board member were shared at the Regional School Unit 73 board of directors meeting on Thursday, June 13.
Staff from Spruce Mountain schools, members of the FIRST Robotics Competition Team 6153 and the community spoke.
“Maintaining a strong social media presence in the FIRST Robotics Competition program is essential and the Blue Crew is student led, with team members making almost all decisions,” Rob Taylor, a science teacher at SMHS and Blue Crew mentor, stated. “Not only is FIRST a highly inclusive organization, the Blue Crew is a model of inclusivity, recognized in 2022 with a Chairman’s Award and in 2023 with a New England District Judges Award, in part for the variety of students we serve. I am proud that robotics teams at Spruce Mountain historically and currently have had team members that are part of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Julie Taylor speaks during the June 13 Regional School Unit 73 board of directors meeting held at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. She, and several others shared concerns about a director’s post on the Blue Crew Facebook page. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
At a recent competition, a team member made Facebook posts about how the team was doing, Rob Taylor stated. “The student made a post that said “Let’s Celebrate Pride Month” inspired by FIRST Robotics’ celebration of the occasion,” he said. “An RSU 73 school board member replied stating, “What are we celebrating, their arrogance?” You need to understand that posts of this kind on a social media page of a school activity show contempt for the students that you have been appointed to support. Our team, myself included, have family members in the LGBTQ+ community. This is a targeted statement by a public official directed at a school program and its participants.”
He and Richard Wilde, a Blue Crew mentor from Mt. Blue High School in Farmington notified their respective superintendents about the issue who then sent a letter to the board member, Taylor said. “I then received a letter from the board member that showed a lack of understanding of what they had done,” he noted. “It included the non-apology statement of, ‘I would like to apologize IF I hurt anyone’s feelings.’”
There is no remorse in that statement. Your letter to the team said Pride is a global movement that pushes an agenda. All global movements have agendas and the Pride agenda is one of acceptance and inclusivity. Your letter said, “Students should be researching all the information they can,” a difficult thing to support when you voted to ban an LGBTQ+ book.
Rob Taylor said he was there to bring awareness of what happened and to send notice that this behavior is unacceptable. “It is bullying as defined in state law and out of compliance with the RSU 73 School Board Code of Ethics,” he noted. “Teachers take annual state-mandated training on LGBTQ+ issues and bullying and this training is also required of school board members by State Law. It is our job to support all students, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or gender identity. If you can’t support all of our students and you feel you need to put your judgement upon them, perhaps it is time to reconsider whether serving as a school board member is a calling for you.”
Julie Taylor, a teacher at the middle school said she has been a teacher in this system for 36 years. “At the February 29 meeting addressing the banning of an LGBTQ+ book, the board member remarked and I quote, “Make no mistake there are two genders. These two genders are given to us by God. Anyone that tries to contradict that is a liar.””
The quote was from Holly Morris, a director from Livermore when an appeal of the book “Rick” was being considered. Morris was one of five directors opposed to allowing the book to remain in the elementary school library.
“While someone may have a personal opinion about a matter, when that same person is a leader in a school district, their words have ramifications,” Julie Taylor stressed. “The board member’s words discriminate against some of the very kids you are here to support. Is our district going to be a safe, supportive, and inclusive place for all people? The answer to this from one of your most senior employees – me – is simple……Yes! I hope that for all of you the answer is also that simple. It should be.”
Jubilee Bailey, a parent of a Blue Crew alumnus said one highlight of her of her daughter’s time at SMHS was her involvement in FIRST. “Today I want to focus on the FIRST core value of inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences,” she said. “Robotics is truly for everyone. Everyone. It is not just robots, It’s real-world skills like teamwork.”
Blue Crew has been recognized for its work to include everyone, Bailey said. Some directors have been involved with SMART and Blue Crew robotics teams and know how magical the competitions are, she stated. “It’s amazing to watch,” she noted. “There’s no name calling, no bullying, no slurs and no homophobia. Everyone is welcomed and valued. I am asking the board to follow the team’s example that robotics, like public school is for everyone and hate has no home here.”
Mason Labonte, assistant team captain and social media manager of the Blue Crew team attends SMHS. “There are only so many opportunities like robotics that operate year-round,” he said. “When you spend so much time with people you learn to accept them no matter who they are. A majority of our team consists of members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community. As June is recognized as a national month of celebration, the team wanted to celebrate this for the second year in a row. When the comment was made on the post, it was brought to the attention of the team after appropriate actions were taken by our team mentors. Team members were upset by this comment and felt it important to make a statement in front of you tonight.”
“All we wanted to do was to continue to share, as FIRST does the meaning and importance of pride during this event, the importance of pride during this month,” team member Violet Bellerose, also from SMHS, said. “All we were doing was being inclusive and showing that we care. This comment that we received shouldn’t have been made public. As a student on this team and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I should be able to go out and do what I want to do, not risk having things like this happen.”
Michelle Brann, a social studies teacher at SMHS shared historical content surrounding the celebration of Pride. In this country Pride traces its roots to marches held on June 28, 1970, to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a riot sparked by a police raid targeting the Stonewall’s gay and lesbian bar patrons, she noted. “Members of the LGBTQ+ community often lived in fear that their jobs, housing and even their literal lives were at risk because of their sexuality and identity,” she stated. “Those early Pride marches and their subsequent growth into a month-long celebration were and are meant to recognize and honor the survival of past and present members of the LGBTQ community.”
Jamie Carden-Leventhal of Jay noted the first three items in the school board policy manual are nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and harassment/sexual harassment. “School board members must be exemplary, not judgmental no matter what their personal feelings are,” she said. “Those words as written were very hurtful, discouraging and completely inappropriate. The fact that they were posted online shows that the author wanted them to be seen. This should not be considered acceptable.”
Gary McGrane of Jay suggested the board adopt or develop an ethics policy that would reprimand or at least admonish individuals who say things that are cautionary to the board, to prevent something similar from happening in the future.
Director Roger Moulton of Livermore Falls said he didn’t see the post, condemned that action. “I hope we never have to deal with something like that again,” he said. He shared Maine was recently listed as last in the nation in high school education scores. “It would be nice to have the same support from parents and staff to increase that so we are not at the bottom,” he added.
“When a board member posts on a school-run Facebook page, their views are not the views of the entire board,” Chair Bob Staples stated. A closed door session is planned at the Aug. 22 meeting to review with the district’s lawyer what can and can’t be said or done, answer questions directors may have, he said.
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