School principal apologizes for pulling Pride decorations
A principal at Blessed Oscar Romero High School has apologized for telling students to remove Pride Week decorations from the school.
Education Minister David Eggen said the Catholic high school’s demand was an “error in judgment” and should be a “teachable moment” for schools across the province.
Students at Blessed Oscar Romero High School in Callingwood said they were told Tuesday to tear down banners and wash off sidewalk paint intended to celebrate Pride Week for LGBTQ students and staff.
“I was very proud of the students with their initiative to have Pride celebrations at the school. I think there was some confusion yesterday,” Eggen said Wednesday. “We did intervene very quickly to ensure that there was proper recognition of the efforts that the students were engaged in.”
Francis Nievera, 15, presidentelect of the student council, said he had the approval of several teachers to wrap banners around pillars inside the school, hang a rainbow Pride flag in the cafeteria, and paint messages and pictures on a walkway outside the building Monday afternoon.
On Tuesday morning, the school’s co-principals called him into the office and said the decorations were unauthorized and had to go. They also said the messages were too political.
Grade 12 student Kennedy Harper, 17, said students have put up similar decorations for the past two years without issue. She said demands to take them down send the message the school doesn’t care about LGBTQ rights, which are protected in the Alberta Human Rights Act and the School Act.
“It feels like they want the LGBT community to be swept under the rug,” Harper said.
Nievera, who is transgender, said although Romero is usually a welcoming school, the decoration debacle made him feel unsafe.
Dozens of students sat outside the school in protest Tuesday after the decree came down. Nievera also started a petition to reinstate Pride celebrations.
Edmonton Catholic School Board chairwoman Laura Thibert said there was a “miscommunication” when students began tracking some of the sidewalk paint into the school.
“This was not an infringement on LGBTQ rights, but simply poor communication between school administration and students,” Thibert said in a statement Wednesday.
Harper said school principal Simon Pryma apologized over the school intercom Wednesday afternoon and committed to raise the school’s Pride flag again himself.
“We are very happy,” Harper said in a text message.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson invited Nievera to help lead the Pride parade Saturday, and Eggen invited Nievera and Harper to help raise the Pride flag at the legislature Thursday.