A Three Rivers Middle School teacher said he resigned because the principal told him to remove his pride flag from his classroom.
On the morning of Friday, Nov. 19, Russell Ball, who taught seventh-grade health, received an email from the Three Rivers Middle School principal telling staff members to take down their pride flags in their classrooms. Ball said he left his flag up.
"I was extremely disheartened," said Ball. "I was quite livid that something that means so much to me has been taken as being political and divisive, when really it just stands for love and acceptance, inclusion for everybody."
Ball, who also taught eighth-grade family consumer science and CrossFit, said he then received a second email from the principal Monday morning, once again telling the staff to remove their pride flags.
News Channel 3 obtained a copy of one of the emails, which reads:
Due to an external challenge in the district that has reached the board level, I have been advised that staff in the building who have pride flags hanging in their rooms will need to take them down until further notice. Mrs. Nash will be on a call today with Thrun Law Firm to get guidance for us, and by the end of the day should have details. Please understand that while I may personally stand behind you and your stance to have the flags up, this is something that I have to do until things get cleared up through Mrs. Nash. Please make sure this is taken care of before kids come in to your class today.
Ball said after getting the second email, he still decided to leave his flag hanging. He said he later received a text message directly from the principal, telling him to remove the flag by the start of the fourth hour.
"That's when during my third-hour plan period, I packed my stuff up and tendered my resignation," said Ball.
Ball said since he resigned from his teaching position at the middle school Monday, the district has not communicated with him. He said he was already pondering the possibility of stepping down on Friday, when he received the first email. He told his students about it, and they were supportive.
"They understood what the flag means to me and to the students within the school," Ball said. "One of the class periods went as far as cheering and clapping when I told them that."
Ball said removing pride flags from classrooms sets the tone that school is not an inclusive place, adding that LGBTQ students experience higher suicide rates, lower attendance rates, and higher dropout rates.
"It's important for the students that are members of the LGBTQIA+ community to have representation in the schools," said Ball. "And the flag is a big part of that representation. It's also a part of who I am as a person. So it felt like to me, I was being complicit in the marginalization of the student group that has largely been marginalized their entire life. So it's important to me to maintain for my students that there's a safe place for them to be, and they still had support within the school."
By giving up his job, Ball said he wanted to set an example for his students and his five children.
"I hope they take away the belief that - the understanding that there are convictions and beliefs we have that are worth fighting for, and sometimes the loss comes at a price. But it's worth it in the end to stand up for what you believe in and stand up for marginalized populations that may not have a voice of their own," said Ball.
Three Rivers Community Schools alumnus Andrew George said he's working with Three Rivers High School junior Riley Mains to organize a protest. It will take place on Dec. 6 at the district administrative office, 851 Sixth Avenue Rd., in Three Rivers. The protest will begin about an hour-and-a-half before the 6 p.m. school board meeting. Participants will then join the meeting to voice their concerns.
Ball said he will take part in the protest, holding the flag that he had to remove from his classroom.
Late Wednesday night, Three Rivers Community Schools sent News Channel 3 the following statement that was also sent to families and staff:
We write in response to a recent news story involving pride flags in District classrooms and whether an after school club was following Board policy. On November 18, 2021, an external party contacted the Board of Education, Middle School Principal, Jason Bingaman, and Interim Superintendent, Nikki Nash, questioning information shared within the school day which also included an inquiry of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) after school club and pride flags within Three Rivers Middle School (TRMS) classrooms. TRCS gathered information from the external party and had internal discussions with school officials regarding the matter. In addition, Thrun Law Firm was consulted concerning these two issues.
It was confirmed that the GSA Club is able to continue their activities as long as they continue to follow board policy. In regard to the pride flags that were displayed in the classroom, they were temporarily removed from each classroom until the Board of Education could carefully review this matter and gather additional facts. Information was shared with the TRCS Board of Education and Mr. Bingaman, who then passed this guidance on to the TRMS staff in the form of an email.
TRCS continues to explore best ways to support all students, including the continuation of the GSA Club already established at TRMS. Continued guidance of Thrun Law Firm, review of current board policies, and reaching out to other districts for best practices will also be part of this ongoing process. TRCS appreciates all of the contributions of our staff and will continue to comply with its Board policies. As we move forward, we are committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students and staff of TRCS. As previously noted in other statements regarding this matter, the Board of Education will consider these issues at their next meeting on December 6, 2021.
Sincerely,
Three Rivers Board of Education
Interim Superintendent, Nikki Nash
Middle School Principal, Jason Bingaman