April Jones, an Algebra teacher at Madison High School, was asked to remove a sign in her classroom that stated, “Hate Has No Home Here.” The banner featured a brown and pale skin toned raised fist, hands holding a rainbow heart, and various flags representing the LGBTQ community.
District officials, stated in their official statement, said the removal was due to concerns tied to political messaging, citing Donald Trump’s administration and its policies that targeted diversity and equity. However, Jones said she was asked to remove the sign before Trump was even elected.
Jones filed a complaint — first with her principal and later with Northeast Independent School District Human Resources — trying to handle the issue internally. Eventually, she was allowed to put the sign back up, but only after removing anything involving LGBTQ messages or representation.
In a formal statement, the district explained, “Students in classrooms are considered a captive audience, and as such teachers’ personal political beliefs, including what organizations they may individually support, are not permitted because that has nothing to do with the job they are there to do. A classroom is not an open public forum for a teacher to engage in discussions about topics that are not part of the curriculum about which they are supposed to instruct students.”
NEISD also noted that the Texas Education Agency now requires all public school districts, including NEISD, to sign a certification form confirming that they do not engage in any
form of diversity, equity or inclusion programs or promotion throughout educational programming.
“Display of symbols in classrooms promoting any particular race, color, or national origin would be construed as a violation of this certification,” district officials said.
Over a dozen community members attended an NEISD board meeting to speak out against the district’s decision.
“I think it sets a bad precedent for students,” said Joshua Enciso, a UTSA music education major. “School is supposed to be a place to learn. For years, schools have campaigned against bullying. So what does it say when they tell a teacher to remove a sign that says ‘No Hate is Welcome?’ That message is supposed to promote safety and kindness. It’s disappointing.
“It sends the message that kindness and inclusion are controversial, when they shouldn’t be. It makes educators question how much they can show support to their students without risking their jobs.
“A classroom should be a safe place to learn. And you can’t really learn if something — or someone — is always making you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. If students don’t feel safe, how often will they want to show up? How likely are they to actually sit down and learn?” Enciso added.
He also directed a message to the district: “I’d tell [NEISD]: stand by [the right] principles. Don’t give in to pressure that encourages censorship of kindness. Ending hate isn’t a bad thing — it’s something we should all be striving for in our classrooms. What’s so bad about that poster that made you feel the need to have it taken down? What harm did it cause? If something that simple is seen as a threat, what message are you really sending to your students?”
The decision by NEISD has sparked ongoing debate among community members, raising concerns about the message being sent regarding inclusion and the district’s approach to supporting staff as an employer.
