Rochester School Board adopts 'Black Lives Matter' as official district language

The Rochester School Board adopted a resolution making five “messages of inclusion” official district language Tuesday evening, confirming the statements are allowed on school property after previous reports called the district’s stance into question.

Directors approved the resolution in a unanimous vote, while asking the public to hold the district responsible for the commitment to its marginalized students in the near-term future.

“I appreciate the ability to sit here in front of a computer to tell you that these are things that do matter to us, and by putting this forward, we are certainly holding ourselves accountable,” said Board Member Dr. Jess Garcia. “For those who have reached out to say the communication needs to improve: [you were] heard loud and clear.”

By approving the resolution, the district adopted the symbols and messages (“Black Lives Matter, “Brown Lives Matter, “Indigenous Lives Matter, “All Are Welcome Here, “Stop Asian Hate,” and the pride flag) as “official government speech,” according to RPS attorney John Edison — meaning the expressions are now considered the district’s stance rather than the personal political opinion of a teacher.

“It is the government’s message that it’s putting out when it is speaking,” said Edison. “It can control what that message is. You don’t have the same issue of people coming forward and saying ‘by expressing a certain message, you must allow others to be expressed.’ That concept does not apply when talking about government speech.”

While the resolution expresses support for Black Lives Matter messaging, it also distances RPS from any political motives of Black Lives Matter-related organizations — saying, in part:

We are expressing our support for the truths that Black, Brown and Indigenous lives matter, that all are welcome within Rochester Public Schools, and that hate directed at Asian communities is unacceptable. Our adoption of this government speech is not to be construed as an endorsement of any specific policy objectives that may be advanced by other organizations using the same or similar messaging.

The Lead-up

The resolution was passed in the wake of public outcry, generated after local community organization Rochester For Justice said the district directed teachers to take down any Black Lives Matter-related material from their classrooms, with cabinet members allegedly calling the material “disruptive.” 

In response, students and teachers were asked to wear black to school on Monday as a form of protest. (Board members Garcia and MacLaughlin both wore #BlackLivesMatter masks during Tuesday’s virtual board meeting.)

District officials have disputed RFJ’s statement, with Superintendent Michael Muñoz calling the claims “misinformation” in an email to parents and staff on Monday. His email reads, in part:

The District’s leadership group came together to discuss supporting our staff and students during this highly emotional and critical time in our history. The District continues to have conversations about speech, First Amendment rights, and how we can support our students and staff. The question on BLM material was asked during a District leadership meeting. During that conversation, there was never a directive to remove posters/flags or disallow wearing BLM apparel.

Before Tuesday’s board meeting, Rochester For Justice challenged the district’s explanation, saying “several teachers” confirmed the directive and at least one teacher had to take down a Black Lives Matter sign — which has since been put back up. They say the “miscommunication” still resulted in an unacceptable outcome, regardless of the district’s intent.

“If any teachers left that meeting with the impression that they were being instructed to take down [Black Lives Matter] paraphernalia, then it really doesn’t matter what the cabinet thought they were trying to communicate,” RFJ wrote on Facebook Monday morning.

Rochester For Justice was unable to make any teacher available for comment.

With Tuesday’s vote, however, Black Lives Matter signs will be allowed in district classrooms for the foreseeable future. Board Chair Jean Marvin said the resolution was not intended to prioritize certain political views, but to provide a show of support towards RPS students that have historically been underserved.

“It is not about telling students what to think, or what they can and cannot say, but it does give our district the authority to speak out about these lives that matter,” said Marvin. “The message to [those students] is that this district stands behind you.”

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.

Cover photo licensed via Canva