September 22, 2021 Newberg School Board Special Meeting

001it's preparing to live stream uh one moment please okay we are in live stream and recording and people are entering in so you are a go when you're ready great uh good evening everyone uh chair Brown is having some audio issues with his computer that he's working on troubleshooting so we're gonna go and get started while he solves that uh first things first uh Rebecca if you would uh lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance please okay I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all foreign thank you Rebecca and then I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to you Vince um Brian point of um order could Dr Morlock speak

002about the translation oh absolutely uh Dr Morlock would you uh do that noches is thank you Dr morola and Vince uh you're on all right um chair Brown Newburgh board and Dr Morlock thank you for having me here this evening um the purpose of this meeting tonight is to go ahead and have a hearing on a variety of issues but uh the board is setting aside time to hear from the public my name is Vince Adams I am a board development specialist with the Oregon school boards Association and I'm here just to support the district in facilitating the this meeting and really to allow the board to sit back and and hear the public uh during this time um so for tonight's meeting the chair has selected 50 individuals and and the order in which

003uh I'll be bringing them up each commenter has will be given two minutes to speak uh time limits will be strictly enforced to mature as many individuals as possible will have an opportunity to provide comment um I'll share my screen and with the two minute timer to help us stay on track um in the interest of time I will ask the board members please refrain from responding in the meeting uh comments made um commenters should direct their remarks to the whole board yeah if you ask a question the board or staff will not be able to respond during the meeting um this is an effort to maximize the number of people uh who will be able to provide comment tonight um I will call on each commenter in turn and the person that follows them

004for example our first commenter tonight will be Sarah kimsey sorrow and uh John Paul Reed is on deck and we'll go proceed that way uh when your name is called please turn on your video and on mute state your name uh in your community of residence for the record and begin your comments uh speakers may have offer objective criticism of the District Operations or programs but the board will not hear complaints concerning individual District personnel undo interruption or other interference with the orderly conduct of these proceedings will not be allowed obscenities profanity threats of violence defamatory or abusive remarks are always out of order I will terminate a commoner's privilege of address if after being called to order the commenter persists in improper conduct or remarks all right with that uh set aside we can

005go ahead and call our first person and like I said previously uh the the first person on the list is Sarah Kinsey sorrow foreign of Sarah that I am promoting I'm not sure if it is the correct one or not I need to share my screen here Sarah um I have a Sarah up I'm not sure if you're the correct person it just has a first name of Sarah I don't have a last name are you the one who wanted to speak tonight can you hear me yes okay yes I am Sarah kimchi sorrow perfect wonderful so go ahead and state your name and uh residents our community of residents for the record and bring in your comments my name is Sarah consusaro I live in Newburgh and I'm a parent of children in the

006Newberg School District I want to address the ban on black lives matter and pride Flags in our schools I am dismayed by how little some members of our community seem to Value empathy I'm a straight white woman I have never had to worry I was being looked at or treated differently because of the color of my skin or who I love that doesn't mean I can't empathize with people in Newberg experiencing racism and bigotry have we forgot forgotten that just because we personally haven't experienced something or witnessed specific behavior that it doesn't mean it isn't true in order to be responsible caring and contributing members of a community we need to listen to our least represented citizens for every one black student in Newburgh there are 70 white students in our schools we need to

007listen to them I am asking for you to put yourself in someone else's shoes your child comes home tears streaming down their face because they were being sold online you get an email that a teacher's aide at your children's school where black face to school can you imagine having to return to that school and not knowing who to trust you're asking to rescind that every student belonging policy which bans the display of Confederate flag nooses and swastikas all three of which have been labeled Statewide as symbols of hate a pride flag and black lives matter flag bother you so much but you are fine with the symbol of genocide for six million Jewish people being displayed in our schools think about that it feels disingenuous to me for you to claim we have heard a

008lot from the community that does support the ban but you have yet to show evidence of that last week you said you were trying to choose new community members to speak get the three people who spoke in favor of the band has spoken at least two if not three other times do you know what that says that you really don't have the support you're claiming to have only around 25 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the May election while the onus is on the community to participate in elections that hardly represents our entire community and how they feel you should be representing them fiscally this is irresponsible most of you don't have children in our district or children under 18. if our district keeps losing money from donors or a superintendent who has made

009incredible progress with our schools you won't see the follow-up from that you can move on because ultimately it won't change your lives but my kids their friends and classmates will suffer we need leaders who will support bringing us together as a community not those who are tearing us apart thank you thank you Sarah all right our next commenter is John Paul Reed Mark to the right you're on Deck all right do we have John Paul Reed sorry I was on mute I promoted a job to the screen but I don't have a last name so I'm unsure if it is the correct John I will attempt again hello John nope okay no John not showing up on the panel Kevin can we get martyr right uh one moment please I will try and after martyr

010right I have Elaine cascella I'm sorry if I mispronounced anybody's names um during this meeting having a hard time finding the name Marta one moment please foreign hi I'm Marta a resident of Newburgh a former student and a mother of two adult former students in this District this introduction is my identification leading me directly to my first point adults who expose their sexual identification to a child is abuse by any definition we all know what the letters lgbtq stand for these are very personal sexual and private choices that people are free to choose but should not be an agenda in the classroom and at Young ages is confusing and none of the school's business second we the people voted this school board in and decision to remove all Flags except the state and American flag

011should stand the American flag does belong in every classroom because it represents freedom Liberty and unity it's also a reminder of those who sacrificed for the freedoms we all value and inclusively are fighting for third after researching BLS I've made to believe that their plea is to secure the right to life liberty and the happiness of all Americans oddly enough that is exactly what the American flag also represents deeper research led me to believe or to find BLM is admittedly known as a socialist philosophy political program and wants to disrupt the nuclear family structure defund police and on and on BLM has a political agenda that has no place in the classroom supporting BLM sends clear message to police families and their kids they are not safe as for the actions of Gail groby after

012removing the American flag and saying I've been in an industry or district for 23 years you can't tell me what to do I feel that there is critical race Theory teachings that are turning our students into radical activists we do not accept these teachings and I still strongly Gail groby and anybody else who supports this type of teaching be resigned and asked to resign lastly just say no to mask and vax mandates every person has the right their opinions and beliefs but there is a place and time to vote those and it's not in the classroom of our highly impressionable students thank you thank you Marta all right next up is Elaine costella on Deck is Nicole llewelling okay can you hear me now yeah we can hear you just fine go ahead and state

013your name and community of residence good evening I'm Ethan castella I am the parent of three Newburgh High graduates and the success coach at Catalyst High School I've lived in Newberg a long time tonight I am speaking with a great deal of sadness and a great deal of anger sadness at the state of our district with racism and bullying running rampant sadness that racist folks are emboldened by this board anger at a board that is participating in illegal Behavior breaking public meeting laws costing our district an incredible amount of taxpayer money that's my money anger at a board that is purposely silencing and not listening to so many voices and I have so many um examples of this but I don't have time to say them but one way is literally illegally changing the rules

014guiding public speaking at meetings to stack the deck to make it look different than it actually is so to those of you listening tonight I want to tell you some stories I've worked in Newberg schools for 14 years I've learned that students need to be seen and heard for who they are it doesn't matter if I agree or disagree with an aspect of who they are or what they believe what matters is that I and other staff see them and express value to them a board telling me what I can and cannot put on my walls is limiting the ways I connect with students and tell them what um and telling them that I see them worse than this however is the stories I'm hearing about students three black students who sobbed at night nightly

015because they feel so dehumanized by this board I knew a whole host of queer students who want to know why they are so hated I know two high school students who transferred to Mac High because of the ban this board put in place I have co-workers good teachers too many of them who will leave the district if this board continues to implement harmful heavy-handed policies without input from everyone my ask is that you back up and get input from the community and get us talking to each other and I hope everyone asks that thank you Elaine our next commenter is uh Noah Nicole the Welling and Mariah Reed is on Deck hi there can you hear me yes we can hear you just fine okay hi my name is Nicole I am from Newburgh and

016I have three boys one of which attends Chehalem Valley Middle School thinking of what I was going to say tonight I was completely torn I am against having BLM and pride items in our schools but the question I keep asking myself is when does this issue come to an end when does it get resolved clearly both sides are never going to concede and both sides are going to continue to fight when will it be enough is it when we've torn our kids apart when we have torn our neighbors apart or ruined businesses Newburgh has been my home for many years I grew up here I am proud to say that I am from Newburgh I am proud that I get to raise my boys in this community I'm not proud of people's recent behaviors however

017I know those select few do not make up the entire town of Newburgh don't let the actions of a few destroy our town and make it something that it is not this town is filled with amazing people people who love one another people who treat each other with respect and would do anything for one another so I ask how do we come to a resolution a resolution that everyone can be happy with we need to come together for our kids thank you thank you Nicole our next speaker is Mariah Reed John Kitchen is on Deck hi can you hear me yes we can um yes I'm sorry no it's okay my name is Mariah Reed and I am a resident of Newburgh I'm a recent graduate of Newburgh High School I was valedictorian for the

018class of 2019 and I'm a member of student government um I care about education I care about making sure that our classrooms and District buildings are safe and are not distracting to the educational process I cared enough to have been heavily involved at Newburgh high school and I care enough to come back now and share my outrage this is embarrassing in student government I heard and witnessed the suffering of a lot of students the mental anguish the suicides never once did a student come with concern for their free speech never once did a student come with concern that a BLM or pride flag was a distraction to their learning BLM and pride flags are symbols of support and safety they are not distracting or indoctrinating in classrooms nooses Confederate flags and other symbols representing the

019murder of black people symbols that represent a violent and unsuccessful anti-American Rebellion are threatening and distracting in schools and in the classroom the fact that those truths are not understood by all members of this board is incredibly embarrassing suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people among my peers lgbtqia plus Youth and black youth have higher rates of suicide compared to their CIS heterosexual white counterparts these resolutions do nothing to address the real Mental Health crisis among students and actively work against the few actions we know are helpful to students data shows that when students feel supported their rate of suicide and mental illness goes down this culture War threatens the lives of students there are consequences to your actions your job description is to support protect and advocate for students yet

020you knowingly put students lives at risk making yourselves enemies of those you swore to protect the passing of these resolutions are not wins for you they threaten the safety and livelihood of thousands of children under your care the consequences of your actions will be on your hands the blood of my peers will be on your hands thank you Mariah all right next up we have John Kitchen and on Deck is Alexandra Brookfield and it looks like we may have multiple students in that group can you hear me yeah John we can hear you just fine perfect good evening my name is John Kitchen I'm a Newberg resident a graduate of Newburgh High School class of o2 and have two sons attend Newberg School District I had to start by stating that I was raised to

021treat people how I want to be treated to treat people with respect I teach my sons the same the BLM and pride Flags really have no place in schools I truly believe there are political symbols and those and those flags if anything caused a vision more than anything proof of that is what's going on right now as we have this meeting students and staff need to be respectful of other decisions and rights to live their life the way they want to school is a place for learning it is not a place to push what you believe onto young minds flying BLM Pride Confederate Nazi communist fists or even the Blue Line Flags is really nothing more than pushing one's personal beliefs onto young minds there's truly one flag that flies that is already all-inclusive it's

022already a Shining Light around the world for equality no matter the color of your skin sexual orientation gender or gender identity that flag is the American flag if the board and our teachers feel they need to fly another flag to use a symbol to show support then really we need new teachers and new board members there is no other symbol or flake needed in our schools or to be flown by our teachers other than the American flag members of this board have stated in previous meetings how unfair it is to have a majority vote decide this policy honestly maybe they should those members should take a class on the Democratic process locally the majority of votes is what that process is all about we as a community have voted these board members in and we

023have a community have voted the Newport school board members in We vote we voted to overturn a majority liberal board and we place it with a majority conservative board that's how this is supposed to work I'd like to end my time by saying thank you to the board members that truly have our students in mind when putting this in policy into place you truly have the support of the majority of Newberg thank you thank you John all right next up is Alexandra Brookfield and anyone else in that group I'm not sure I have notes here that there may be multiple students yeah maybe can you hear us I yes I can can you see us uh I see Tammy Brookfield okay yeah go ahead yeah okay hello board members my friends and I are here

024tonight to express our concerns over the board's recent activities it is extremely insensitive and disrespectful to take down Flags represent a minority group of people it shows a lot of ignorance to think that banging those flags is going to make the problem disappear those who have been murdered by the police deserve recognition and not to be ignored that may not affect you personally but it affects me a lot those people were killed because of their skin colors something you can't change there's science behind being lgbtq plus you don't choose how you identify don't turn on communities that you can't relate to or understand the school board was elected to serve the students and to do what's best for us including listening to our wants and needs BLM and pride for lives create a safe environment

025for students and make them feel like valued members of our community the Pledge of Allegiance ends with with liberty and justice for all by taking down these flags you're saying that minority students are not welcomed that is disregarding our nation's pledge growing up in Newburgh has taught me to Value diversity and celebrate our differences please don't change this message we're all living through a pandemic but for those bypoc and lgbtq Plus members of our community this adds more struggle onto an already devastating year your job is for Tech students to do what's best for us as a student at Mountain View Middle School myself I can say this is not what is best for us you can't claim that pride in Black lives matter flags are a distraction but taking them down is more of

026one teachers tipped her around the conversation spread by this action by your action because to tell us that what you are doing is right it would be to tell us that minority students do not deserve to be loved and that they do not belong because that is what taking away the symbols of their acceptance means to these students in our community seeing people we we relate to being hurt and discriminated against is scary it makes us feel like there's danger lurking around every corner which is why a beer um sign or applied like can be so powerful it makes us feel like this is a safe space somewhere where we can be ourselves and know that we are respected regardless of our ethnicity sexuality or gender please consider being more responsible with me and my

027um me and my friends parents tax dollars instead of spending money on lawyers for cases you've gotten yourself into spend money on improving curriculum hiring more Educators buying better better masks for students improving extracurricular activities improving counseling Etc many times in these meetings I've heard people argue that racism isn't a problem in new book but look at what happened on Snapchat and it and at Mabel Rush that is here and that is now taking down these signs makes it seem like it is okay to treat bipoc students as if they are less is that the message you wish to convey thank you for your time please consider what we have said an endless Petty argument so that we can tackle other important issues rather than tearing down positive representation for those who often represent underrepresented

028in our society thank you all right and I'm assuming that Abram Dunlop was in there as well I don't know the children of Newburgh so so next up I believe we have Peggy kilburg foreign Peterson Peggy is on the panel okay biggie sorry I didn't unmute the right spot I'm here sorry all right we can hear you just fine go ahead and say your name and I have some comments about the band I've watched school board meetings for the past several months and frankly I'm just fed up with people calling up down and down up calling the ban on signs that promote political organizations and agendas political is a patently false and irrational statement the school board should be a political one parent recently scolded alleging that it's opposition to lgbtq Pride and BLM signs

029and flags in the schools is motivated by politics I would assert that exactly the opposite is true supporting these signs in the schools is actually what's political go to these websites and see for yourself let's imagine for a moment something quite different than BLM and or lgbtq media being disputed what if teachers and staff had posted such signs as abortion stops a beating heart which at five weeks gestation is true by the way or blue lives matter or proud supporter of the NRA my guess is that all of the school board members as well as many of you on Zoom who vehemently oppose the current ban would not only agree to but demand a ban on these signs and my point is that all of these signs including BLM and lgbtq should be considered political

030just go to their websites so let's stop pretending that the school board members who support the ban are being political when they have in fact voted to make our schools politically neutral I also want to say that I'm really tired of hearing four of our school board members disparaged as racist homophobic hateful uncaring I have simply had it I would remind you that they were elected by people in this community who agree with their views and I'll conclude by saying again that this ban is simply about ensuring a neutral learning environment so please stop this politically loaded nonsense thank you Peggy okay John Peterson is up next and David Klaus is on Deck can you hear me yeah John hey go ahead and start all right my name is John Peterson owner of pollinate flowers

031in Newburgh IN 2019 our business began a visibility campaign in Yamhill County after hearing countless stories of local youth who felt too afraid to be themselves in this community some of these youth children chose to end their lives our business began Distributing free Pride Flags to organizations who are interested in showing support to the local lgbtq plus Community it is important because there is a tremendous lack of effective leadership on lgbtq issues in Newburgh and Yamhill County effective leadership begins with listening before making decisions the past month highlights elected officials on this school board who are unable to lead effectively because they are unable to listen to human stories that differ from their own experiences indeed four members of this school board already made decisions about minority students without listening to student voices it's tragic

032that in 2021 with Decades of research and documented negative effects of discrimination on people and communities the leaders in Newburgh continue to talk and discriminate before they listen four members of this board continue to claim that existing as bypoc or lgbtq plus human is inherently political and the children of law enforcement are intimidated and threatened by symbols of black and queer Liberation these are white nationalist dog whistles this board claims to desire to get back to education while simultaneously demonstrating how incredibly uneducated the board is on racial sexual and gender identities and experiences in the United States effective school board members educate themselves on all student experiences not just the students with the most privilege like those of law enforcement effective law enforcement leaders would be quick to squash The Narrative that bypoc and lgbtq

033plus children are a threat to officers children effective law enforcement leaders understand the importance of Officer accountability in the communities they serve and they understand how the history of their profession continues to impact their jobs today infective law for Enforcement Officers teach their children about human diversity Dave Brian Renee Trevor you all need to do better thank you thank you John all right David Klaus is up and Marie selke I believe I'm pronouncing that correctly is on Deck foreign is on the panel if you could unmute all right can you hear me now I hear you just fine David go ahead okay all right my name is David Klaus and I am a 23-year resident of Newburgh and I would like to go on record as being strongly in favor of the board's decision to

034end political and ideological symbols from the classroom school should be places of learning not ideological Petri dishes for indoctrination how would it be for a teacher to just say a blue line a proud boy or a trump flag in class so in the spirit of equity if you allow one you must allow all I also believe that a clear majority of Newburgh residents would agree with the board's decision it's time to once again focus on teaching students how to think as opposed to what to think that is all thank you John or I'm sorry that was David so thank you David uh Marie selke and Maddie kozloff is on Deck can you hear me I can hear you just fine Marie hi um my name is marcelke I'm a parent of two current and one

035former Newburgh students and so I often walk and Jog around Newburgh and I see a number of signs that say hate has no home here which often makes me reflect on our community wouldn't that be great if it were true I saw on a sign online that sums up what really needs to be said it says love your neighbor who doesn't look like you think like you love like you speak like you pray like you vote like you love your neighbor no exceptions seems like our community would be more cohesive if we all follow this instead we are in tribes here in Newburgh and I would argue Nationwide as adults and parents I say we set a better example for our children we as a school do not tolerate bullying of any kind I got

036the recent email there are consequences to bullying behavior and I cheer that I say that we as a community do the same if there is a board member or Community member a staff member that does not agree with you think like you look like you pray like you or vote like you or even make different Health decisions than you let's not call them names let's not doc some or threaten them let's not go after them and get them fired from their jobs affect their livelihood all these classifies bullying behaviors to me let's not tolerate bullying let's be an anti-bullying community and set a good example for our students and children we expect our children to talk out their differences to see the other side and to treat each other with respect let's be adult and

037model this respect as teachers as administrators as parents as school board and community members no matter how Justified you feel your opinion is let's work out our differences work together and maybe we can make the news in a positive way thank you thank you Marie all right next up is Maddie koslaw and Joseph bruckkin is on Deck oh I think I hear a voice but it's not very long can you hear me just barely I'm sorry Maddie I can't I'm interested is that better yes that's much better thank you I've got multiple mics so go ahead all right my name is Maddie cosloff and I am a school counselor at Chehalem Valley Middle School during the September 14th meeting there was a motion put forward to spend time specifically hearing from those who would be

038most affected by Banning Pride or BLM paraphernalia students staff and parents the majority of the board has chosen to ignore that request a decision to continue to silence us on August 3rd over 20 professionals hired and employed by this District to specifically support the emotional social and academic needs of students wrote and submitted a letter arguing against this policy we presented professional research about historic inequities and voiced concerns seeing those being echoed in our district the response we received was dismissive at best a four sentence email with Community feedback is very important to our decision-making process when the Avenue for providing feedback comes after a decision that's been made you make it clear that it's not a factor in your process our silence is more valuable than our feedback since the school year has started

039I have witnessed increased comments of bigotry a direct response to people Feeling emboldened by their recent board policy to voice hateful and hurtful opinions and reflect poor Behavior modeled by some members of this board luckily many staff have rallied to support their students seeking to provide reassurances that everyone is welcome in our schools and communities conversely dozens of students have commented on my pride or black lives matter shirts pins and buttons each excited to see themselves and in turn be seen by popular lgbtq plus students cannot and should not have to hide who they are and without these symbols I would be an unknown to some of my most vulnerable students the disconnect between what you are saying and what you are doing has turned a corner from confusing to hurtful the reality is that

040you cannot silence us into disappearance we exist as your staff your students and in your community but this District doesn't belong to just you it belongs to all of us thank you thank you Maddie all right next up is Joseph bruckkin and Sarah Morgan is on Deck okay see I can you hear me yeah we can hear you just fine Joseph thanks sir foreign father for long time Newberg resident We the People the American Flag represents more ethnicities religions backgrounds and opinion than in any other Nation the Republic a state where Sovereign power is invested in Representatives elected by people to govern to govern the government is the people somehow we've forgotten that it's from the people to the leaders not from the leaders to the people we are drifting away from what our for

041our forefathers intended in the Constitution unfortunately elections don't always go the way we want we still must obey the law and follow the rules ginning up discourse will not work anyone can anyone who can afford private education is leaving the public schools waivers need to be considered so that the Money Follows the students and soon the failed Public Schools will implode forcing the rebuilding according to the people not the indoctrinated minority I'm terrified of nothing what makes me a bit nervous is when he marks this organization Works its way into the public schools I've seen this group involved in more domestic terrorism than in any other group of My Life as a third generation veteran I will continue to defend the flag against enemies both foreign and domestic critical race theory is toxic for our

042society as a father of mixed race children it makes no sense to think because I have white skin I'm the oppressor and my wife is oppressed because her skin is brown truth must be considered in this situation cultural Marxism the supremacy of the state overthrowing family exploiting the relationships within the family indoctrinating our children with your politics defunding police sound familiar be very careful Marxism is unfolding before a very eyes stop boxing out people that don't share your values Spirit strength and God bless America thank you Joseph all right next up is Sarah Morgan and on Deck hold on I need to turn my page on Deck is Jerry Lyda I think I'm pronouncing that right hello can you hear me yeah Sarah go ahead hi my name is Sarah Morgan I'm in the seventh

043grade dual language program at Mountain View Middle School school has always been like a community a safe space to be myself but what we have is a community divided with the decisions like Banning lgbtq and BLM flags and showing support of that are our other acts and will just get worse you've also told us that the priority goes to the students this meeting but I've only yet just seen two groups of students to speak this is similar to our schools the BLM and bipop community members have been silenced and we and people that favor this this decision have been be able to spoken up if we're gonna fix this we need to start soon because it'll just get worse so help us rebuild this community and piece our community back together thank you Sarah all

044right next up is Jerry Lyda and on Deck is Robert till hi Vince can you hear me I can hear you just fine Jerry great good evening chairman Brown board members and superintendent warlock thank you for serving our community and for this opportunity to speak my name is Jerry Lyda a valedictorian of Newburgh High School in 1989. some public employees like police officers are not allowed to share political opinions on the job I believe it should be the same for School District employees I have observed many people being viciously attacked because they prefer a politically neutral classroom people are ruining reputations and causing Financial harm I was born and raised here in Newburgh and people I have known much of my life who are really great people are destroying other people I'm asking all of

045us to be civil as we discuss difficult issues please show tolerance toward people who have an opinion that you don't like let's love all of our neighbors as ourselves I interviewed four teens three boys and one girl in Newburgh who prefer not to speak tonight for concern of Retribution if you won't hold back from attacking adults with which you disagree students believe you're likely to attack them as well so many are being silent I'll read the questions that I asked and then I'll share their answers what message do you have for the school board and do you have any comments about the disputed Flags first person putting up a symbol that represents a certain political opinion creates more Division and people have a harder time being comfortable in class second person hire teachers who will

046do what's best for us and not polarize us and who will not be pushing racism A Narrative of racism all the time I don't know a single racist the U.S flag and Oregon flag are the only ones that are all inclusive all of their flags are exclusive and distract from the class support an open learning environment without a teacher's divisive beliefs adding other flags will pull students attention from what is being taught I'm sorry Jerry your time is expired thank you all right Robert till is up right next and I have Zachary Lyda on Deck Robert go ahead and unmute oh sorry I was muted can you see me and hear me I can see and hear you just fine awesome thank you so much okay um hello my name is Robert Taylor and my

047pronouns are he slash him I am a gay sophomore student at Newburgh High I'm embarrassed to live here the fact that we have made national news for something so shitty twice in one week makes me sick the fact that four of you voted to ban a colorful flag that stands for love and equality and a flag that fights Against Racism is beyond me there are so many other things you should be worrying about last week several students at Newburgh High created every under joined a slave trade group Snapchat where they literally bought and sold a black gay student here at NHS and just last Friday an elementary school teacher Elementary showed up in blackface to protest vaccine mandates okay it's called science words alone can't even describe how disgusted and upset I am the Trevor

048Project guests might set at least one lgbtq plus youth between the ages of 13 and 24 attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the U.S alone due to not feeling loved or accepted it's horrendous and unacceptable a simple prider Bill implied in a classroom shows the love and acceptance that we need Pride Flags can literally save someone's life and you're just going to take that away this is why representation matters I have lived in Newburgh my whole life and I did man change and I demand equal rights and I deserve the opportunity to not be looked down upon or hated for the gender which I love and deserve the right to not be bullied and called slurs on a daily basis do better Newberg I am done thank you Robert [Music] right Zachary Lyda is up

049next and then I just have a first name Reed r-e-i-d and that person is a student hello can you hear me you can hear you just fine Zachary ah thank you my name is Zach Lyda I am 21 years old and I've been a resident of Newberg my whole life thank you all for giving me a chance to speak tonight my comments will focus on the Banning of political symbols in the classroom I completed High School through an early college program taking classes at Portland Community College there's a very definite political slant at PCC more present than some classes than others certain classes were very apolitical and I learned a lot in them however a number of classes were not this detracted from my learning often forcing me to focus away from learning and toward

050political matters in a modern history class for example the professor had a great personal like for a certain president there were four essays due in the class and the first two expressed I expressed my own opinions I received moderate grades for both those essays in the last two essays however I praised that president that the professor liked and received perfect scores on both of them this shifted my focus away from actually learning history and toward keeping my professor happy and also made me feel marginalized and showed me that I wasn't safe expressing my own opinions in class I believe that the personal politics of teachers should have no place in the classroom for this reason students are there to learn about their subjects not their teachers opinions students should feel safe expressing their opinions in

051class and have no fear of what their teachers may do if they have the wrong opinion removing divisive political symbols from the classroom is a step toward this goal while some students may feel validated by the presence of a political agenda in the classroom there will always be others who are marginalized by that agenda we cannot allow our school system to normalize the marginalization of groups of children all children should feel safe and welcome in the classroom thank you thanks Zach all right next we have uh Reed it's a student and then on that we have Mark Colby am I Audible yes very pretty good hello my name is Reed Arnold I'm a student at Newburgh High School this is my senior year I would first off like to say the pride and black lives

052matter flags are not a want but a need so many of my classmates go holds that do not support them for who they are and their safe place is at your schools taking those flags of the way you are abandoning your students what flags are shown in our in the schools should not be decided by the adults who do not walk those Halls feel the gazes of your classmates and are discriminated against right now Newburgh is under the microscope with the slave trade group chat and what happened at Mabel Rush the only question really is is if you will be the if your decision will be the third in the row or not thank you all right thank you Reed right Mark Colby is up next and then we have Midas Jenkins on Deck okay

053I can hear you just fine Mark go ahead okay thank you I'm a long time resident of Newburgh community and I graduate of Newburgh High School my comments are as follows one is I support the Banning of all special Flags banners signs pins Etc in the schools and classrooms other than the American flag and the Oregon flag basically anything to do with special interest and of a political nature needs to not be allowed second anti-racist policy it is actually racist in itself by mentioning George Floyd and promoting him as being someone better than what he actually was a convicted felon this policy insinuates that Newberg is a predominantly racist Community which it is far from it I think it is also appalling that the radical left are out there trying to personally attack harm the

054conservative members of this board you three minority board members in fact all board members should publicly condemn these actions and lastly board meaning preparedness there's no excuse for any board member to come to a meeting and not be fully informed and up to date on matters before the board if you cannot you should resign thank you thank you Mark right minus Jenkins is up next and on Deck is Carrie Marshall or no I'm sorry it's Carrie Martel hi can you hear me can hear you just fine awesome hello I'm Midas I'm a senior at Catalyst in Newburgh I've lived here my entire life uh last year I followed the Newberg school board with some other students and I spoke in a board meeting expressing support that every student belongs policy and tonight I'm speaking to

055you about the ban on black lives matter and lgbtqa signs flags and symbols I want you to hear how this ban affects me a transgender student I've spent a great deal of my life on high alert feeling unsafe and Afraid of the worst case scenario without any outward expressions of support I'd always default to Murphy's Law if anything can go wrong it will and Catalyst has been a safe place for me where I can let down my guard and then when the new school board quickly decided to ban all BLM and lgbtq symbols I felt like you were telling me that there's no room for people like that my life because of my identity is not valued exclusionary behaviors like this ban are very literally life threatening trans youth already have a higher than average

056chance of experiencing depression homelessness suicidal thoughts and actions and other mental health challenges I have first-hand experience of the difference that diligent expressions of support can make versus the effects of Erasure and rejection the span is harmful and backwards please listen to the students being impacted I am not political I am human thank you thank you Midas all right up next is Carrie Martel uh Cherise Bach is on Deck can you see me see and hear you just fine right my name is Carrie Martel my family has lived in the area for about a century I was born in Newberg I attended the local school system I joined the army when I was 17 after having lived in several other states I returned to the area about a year ago I'm very alarmed at the

057political activists who entrenched themselves into this town which haven't been founded by Quakers has historically been immune to many of the social problems of the surrounding areas I am alarmed the city mayor and Council has hired a critical race Theory consulting firm and his Founders authored an essay the clamp is not enough for white people to be allies of the ideology they must also become accomplices willing to sacrifice their jobs reputations and everything for an ideological Crusade that they as a so-called consultant or financially profiting from I have alarmed at the Newberg School District passed a resolution claiming our school system is systemically a racist and that they need to racially cleanse the faculty redefining this cleansing is making it more diverse I'm alarmed by The Fringe movement to hang Flags like black lives matter

058and the Gay Pride Flags in our schools which are logos for Incorporated political non-profits these are not symbols that represent all the students they are exclusionary symbols that only represent People based on their ethnicity or their sexual orientation Newburgh used to be a place that practiced a common Humanity approach to diversity that taught to judge a person by the content of their character and that sexual orientation ethnicity and gender are not the most important factors to judge a person by now there is a movement to teach children to Define themselves by these things to the degree they must rally under flags and engage in political tribalism along these lines and that anyone who is on the correct ethnicity or sexual orientation or gender must step aside and become an ally for other people or face

059enormous bullying and harassment meanwhile the activists sell merchandise collect donations in the case of the consulting firm the city hired profit from the hysteria they are causing in our town I say that is enough I call on the residents of Newberg to reject all of this thank you thank you Carrie all right Charisse Bach is up next and Amber Dawson is on Deck hello can you see me I've seen I see him hear you just fine okay my name is Cherie Spock and I live in Newburgh I'm a parent of two students in the district and a former student as is my dad last person mentioned Quakers so I'll share that I'm recorded Quaker Minister I support the anti-racist policy and every student's belong policy and displaying symbols of belonging for traditionally marginalized groups that's

060a major part of the Quaker tradition I'll tell you a brief story that illustrates what's going on in Newburgh in relation to racism and discrimination these days a few weeks ago I was in a sine waving demonstration downtown a white man pulled up next to us to stop at a red light and asked us from the car do you really think there's white supremacy in Newburgh we said yes and we're conversing with him about it at that moment a truck drove by and a person yelled white power and called us the n-word we said they just yelled that at us so that's an example right in front of you that racism is happening in Newburgh the light turned green and as the man in the car drove off he said I choose to believe it

061doesn't exist I choose to believe racism and discrimination doesn't exist this is what four members of the school board are saying to all the students of color and queer students parents and community members who have shared their stories and even through aggregated even though aggregated statistics show you that it does students speak up over and over again and say that it feels it helps them feel supported to see a black lives matter sign or a pride flag so they feel safe so that they can learn these symbols are the very least we can do for those of us who are white and straight it may feel like all of a sudden all these discriminatory incidents are occurring and we might think see how divisive this is but I challenge all of us who are white

062or straight to consider that these types of incidents are visible right now because we're paying attention but they are happening regularly whether we notice them or not since Newberg is opening up this conversation we're able to be in dialogue together as a community about what's occurring so that people don't have to suffer alone and so we can do something about it this isn't a both sides issue this isn't a partisan issue this is people's lives this is our children's lives listen to our students thank you trees all right Amber Dawson is up next um just to interrupt I have an Amber Davis and that is the only Amber I have I don't have an Amber Dawson so I'm going to promote and see if that is the correct person okay and then on decks we

063have it's jbt Emmons Amber can you unmute and let us know if you were in fact the person who signed up under Amber Dawson turn on your video and wave they you're there hmm um okay uh the next one then is jbt Emmons anybody with Emmons for a last name one moment let me look under a phone number really quickly and see if it's under a phone number okay foreign okay then the next name I have is Robin Wheatley Robin with a y we'll go ahead and continue to look for those other names see if I can find something like it while we're listening to Robin yeah happy happy to come back and pick someone up if you can you bet foreign no last name I'm going to promote and see if that's her foreign

064try one more time okay they're accepting so okay so then let's go to Catherine McNeil that's Catherine with a y foreign did she show up on the panel because I'm not seeing oh I have Robin on the panel Robin are you Robin Wheatley hello can you hear me yeah Robin I don't know what happened uh anyway I'm here no you're good to go ahead and begin okay um hi my name is Robin Wheatley I'm a lifelong Newburgh resident with two kids in the schools and I have two kids graduated um I'm in support of the political sign ban by the school board um I believe schools should be a neutral learning environment that supports all students I have always been happy and felt my kids were supported at Newburgh High School up until this year

065the learning environment is no longer neutral but hyper politicized a teacher at one of the schools has gone as far as to say that bypoc and lgbtq students are more important what I support lgbtq and bipoc people but I do not support these flags as they are not inclusive to everyone what about kids who are struggling with family issues poverty learning disabilities and mental illness to say a few of these are the issues that are plaguing kids these days the signs are causing a lot of division and strife in our community needlessly all students matter don't they we need to figure out a way to show support for all students the American flag and the flag of the state of Oregon represents everyone we need to come together we can't do that until the schools

066return to neutral ground keeping politics out all students matter but it certainly doesn't feel like that this year please vote to ban political signs so that everyone feels welcome thank you thank you Robin off this I found a Jim Emmons I believe that is rgbt Ms I'm going to promote him great thank you can you hear me yeah we can hear you just fine I started anytime yes please thanks for this chance to speak my name is Dr Jim Emmons and I live in the Oaks I'm here as a concerned and embarrassed parent Citizen and educator our city has become infamous in recent weeks for racist incidents and worse incidents within our schools difficult not to see a correlation between the board's decision to ban symbols for civil rights which by the way is an

067ongoing process and not a historical event and these disgusting episodes at the least that decision helps make it appear safe to commit such Acts both the slave auction so-called at newsburg high and the bizarre protest in blackface at Mabel Rush the two schools my children attend our Horrors one should only encounter within a history book if historical precedent is any guide what follows is worse what's next church bombing lynching this is something that needs to stop racism while a part of our history is definitively Un-American the air historical and unscientific falsehoods behind racial Prejudice run counter to our values we cannot claim to promote Liberty or individual rights if we deny it to some of our own people the board given the notoriety it's achieved since its politically motivated decision and it is a politically

068devoted motivated decision has an opportunity here to show their true colors and their True Values I want to know what those will be will it be tacit approval or will they look after our children which is of course their mandate if the board believes no one needs mask then perhaps we can once again meet in person to discuss these issues without digital ways to hide hush or hinder constituents by reducing their time into a two-minute sound bite I urge the board not to fail on its mandate to serve this community to look after the best interests of our children all of them not just the white or straight or male ones I urge you especially those of you elected on the so-called save our schools ticket to examine your consciences do you truly embrace the

069values that made our nation great then you will protect those who are sometimes victimized this is a double sin not to do this we do not lead children astray thank you thank you Jim all right I found Catherine McNeil I'm going to promote now thank you and then on Deck we have Jennifer Rossetti hi everyone my name is Catherine McNeil and I am a resident of Newburgh and I am here today to express my opposition not only to the ban um but also to the proposals made to uh revoke or amend the district's anti-racism resolution and to revoke the every student's belong policy which is a policy that is required um by the state for us to receive our division uh funding and so I just firmly believe that these actions are taking our district

070in the opposite direction that we need to go uh the recent events in our community make clear that racism is a problem in our community and it's a problem that requires Solutions these proposals by the board do nothing to address the problem the the pleas that we're hearing from our students of color from their family members from our lgbtq students to solve the the bullying and the harassment that's happening in our schools and we need leadership right now that can propose solutions to these problems racism is not a problem that you get to stand by and say well it's not affecting me so I'm going to do nothing about it as a leader we need to step up all of us in the community and address the issue of racism if you're not going to

071be part of the solution then you're part of the problem okay so that includes board members the majority of the board that are voting on these resolutions I ask you to please step up and find solutions to these problems or or step down thank you Catherine all right next up we have Jennifer Rossetti and then on Deck Ava Bartley I'm attempting to promote a Jay Rossetti great they're on the panel now okay great Jennifer if you can unmute hello hi yeah we can hear you just fine all right thank you I'm Jennifer Rossetti I'm a parent in Newburgh uh black lives matter is political BLM donations and merchandise purchases are processed by act blue which is a Payment Processing Company only for Democratic candidates organizations and Charities this connection makes BLM political and connected to

072the Democratic party this information is available on the BLM and atblue websites BLM is connected to the riots in Portland and across the U.S Pride flags are not inclusive these flags are exclusively for the lgbtq community in their social political movement the flags are displays to the religious and scientific communities that their views and beliefs are not tolerated if political BLM and pride flags are allowed then The Thin Blue red yellow green flag should have equal representation in the classroom many of our students have family members or friends that are pleased for our emergency and Military where is their flag of support Oregon state law states a U.S flag is to be displayed in each classroom Mrs groby is in violation of this law by removing the flag from the classrooms she uses for teaching

073the color of your skin and gender does not make you a racist or anti-lgbtq in our home we don't judge someone based on the color of their skin but on the content of their character I'm okay share that philosophy with the nation we are all equal teachers or any other school staff should not in any way before us to take a vaccine against their will religion or Simple Choice the school board is to be the voice of those who elected you there is no other choice and no better time for you to stand up for Liberty and the safety of our children regarding these matters thank you right thank you uh Jennifer and I'll remind commenters that we cannot mention the the names of Staff we cannot comment on individual staff members all right next

074up is Ava Bartley and there's Ava hi hi thank you let me reset my time oh chair Brown okay thank you Vince Brown and directors of the Newberg School Board my name is Ava Bartley I live in Dundee Oregon I am the parent of two recent Newberg High School graduates I wanted to highlight five items from my written testimony with you tonight and these comments are generally directed at the four in the majority first regarding your proposed ban on political or controversial displays sadly we have seen that your pursuit of this ban has emboldened further hateful and racist actions that have attracted national attention bringing shame and embarrassment to our community you have been admonished to change course by the State Board of Education leaders in the executive and legislative branches of Oregon government your

075own Association and many many others you are risking the funding and stability of our school district please listen and stop this misguided effort second regarding your proposal to rescind the every student belongs policy Oregon statutes and administrative rules require that you have this policy thumbing your nose at the law or the in the case of the Mask mandate doing a calculus as to whether the district can afford to pay the fines if you willfully violate the applicable law is not a choice that's available to you see board policy BBA you must follow your own policies and you must follow the law third you were stewards of the school district's limited Financial Resources the school district's budget is not your own private piggy bank to use as you wish to further your own political or Personal

076Agenda fourth the board policy bhbha sets the expectation that board members will understand the board's functions policies and procedures before taking office yet the meetings I've witnessed over the past few months would suggest otherwise two of you are new please take advantage of the training offered to you by the Oregon school boards Association educate yourselves about the laws and policies that apply to the work you're doing learn parliamentary procedure put in the effort to do a better job at the job you were elected to do or please step aside and let someone else do it who will lastly be fair and provide equal access to people who want to engage with the board people providing public testimony used to be taken in the order they signed up why does the chair now get to hand

077pick the speakers this violates the spirit if not the importance of EBS regarding fairness thank you thank you Ava all right Mike Minard is next m-e-i-n-e-r-t is the last name I'm sorry I didn't let you know that ahead of time you only have a first name of Mark so I'm promoting and then I have and then I have a uh and then Isaiah on on Deck I don't know if this Mark is the correct mark I will try it one more time okay how about an Isaiah okay is a student I do not see an Isaiah okay then I have a person that goes by dandelion or Dandy Johnstone um I found Dandy promoting now all right after Dandy we have a kin Kim Madonna mad Onna Moe it's instant view and oug McDonough thank

078you hi there is my uh camera and Mike working yeah works great beautiful all right I'd like to introduce myself as Dandy Johnstone pronouns are shid they I'm a junior at the Newberg High School um thank you guys for hearing my experience as a queer and trans individual um the years that I've experienced living here in Newburgh have been about seven no excuse me they've been four years uh since I've moved here in eighth grade and I am now entering into my first semester of junior year um during these years especially in my high school um education I've been experiencing a lot of fears because of whom I am and the things that I know myself to be true as going through a lot of inner debate and looking at the communities and resources available

079to me I realized that the school had my back and my support which enriched my education allowed me to safely Express and be myself entering my sophomore year I was able to take the tools that are available to me and go to the school and say these are the records and the pronouns and the preferred name that I would like to be represented by and ever since then my ability to be feeling safe and supported in my own school has enriched and made my education so much more vibrant unfortunately this year we're revoking the ability for queer students and black students to express themselves and connect with people through the symbols of these flags um the Trevor Project 2020 would Express that among lgbtq middle and high school students 59 felt unsafe at school because

080their sexual orientation and 40 47 because of their gender and 42 because of their gender expression our previous findings show that lgbtq youth and affirming schools have nearly 40 percent lower odds of attempting suicide compared to lgbtq youth in non-affirming schools One Way students can one way schools can support lgbtq youth is by including positive content about lgbtq people and issues in classroom curriculums representation in school curriculums can affirm lgbtq youth sexual and gender identities thank you thanks Danny all right next up is Kim Madonna and Isaac Etherington is on Deck can you see me and hear me I can't see you but we can hear you you can go ahead and begin perfect I am Kim McDonough a graduate of Newburgh schools a parent of three current students and a catalyst graduate a mom

081of both black and white kids and a teacher here in the district I've heard members of the board say that the recent removal of BLM and pride symbols from school and the related proposals is simply getting politics out of the classroom though it might be just politics to you I need to tell you it's far more than that to many of our Newberg students it wasn't just politics when a brown student was repeatedly bullied and called racial slurs by boys in the locker room or when a black student was told she was pretty but in a National Geographic kind of way when a queer middle school girl was repeatedly bullied and called slurs by students who thought her writing too gay a brown student told by classmates to get down there where you belong when

082they threw her supplies on the floor to Spanish-speaking students told to get out of my country by their white peers to the boy who was assaulted because she dressed talked and walked too gay to the brown student followed throughout their school hallways by white students wearing white hoodies pulled up like KKK robes chanting KKK these are real experiences of students here in Newburgh this goes beyond politics for these students school has not always been safe so a small rainbow a heart of multiple flesh tones with BLM written on this side or a flag from their birth country in a classroom is not a small way it's a big way to make school feel a little bit more safe they're a symbol that students are not alone that they have a place and that they have

083safe people beside them recent board actions have encouraged racist and homophobic Behavior please right this wrong listen to the experiences of lgbtq students and students of color listen to Educators and mental health professionals who speak to you rescind your vote on BLM and strengthen anti-racism in all student belong student safety depends on you Kim right up next is Isaac Etherington and then I have Aaron Ochoa on Deck Isaac is on the panel all right there's Isaac hello this is Isaac do you hear me I can hear you just fine go ahead excellent my name is Isaac Etherington I live in McMinnville I have two young school children in McMinnville and on Newburgh as an American as a citizen as an Oregonian I believe that all children of all skin color religious faith and sexual orientation

084should feel welcome and respected in their educational environment by law the public school system is required to be neutral ground devoid of any radical political activism on the part of the teachers and the staff the BLM flag does not symbolize Freedom it does not symbolize love unity or The Fight Against Racism the BLM flag symbolizes hate Division and a movement that seeks to dismantle a socioeconomic system that has raised more people from poverty than any other system in the history of the world the fact that BLM is a radically destructive movement is easily discoverable through very limited research they openly declare themselves BLM co-founder Patrice colors describes herself as quote a trained Marxist that is super versed in Marxist ideology end quote since its Inception every attempt at Marxism around the world has led to

085genocide starvation severe poverty and the complete subjugation of the people living beneath it the only people to benefit from Marxism are the oligarchs and dictators that subjugate these populations Marxism and symbols of Marxism have no place in American public schools BLM co-founder yusra kogali recently wrote openly that quote whiteness is not humanness white skin is sub-human white people are a genetic defect of Blackness black people through their dominant genes can literally Wipe Out the white race if we wanted to end quote parents and members of the board does this sound like love and acceptance to you this is vile hate speech at its core this is a sentiment that we do not want being expressed to our children in school I'd like to remind the board that Oregon state code 339 decimal 35351-364 clearly defines

086the act of bullying and strictly prohibits any bullying in the public school system what do we want Dead Cops when do we want them now pigs in a blanket fry them like bacon these are chants that were Cried Out by BLM protesters throughout the entire year of 2020 now imagine being a child of a law enforcement family seeing that flag Isaac I'm sorry your time is expired thank you okay up next is Aaron Ochoa next I am on Deck is Veronica Lopez I thought I was promoting Aaron but um they disappeared from the screen so I'm not sure if I had the right person um let me try this one I have an Aaron Johnson which um I believe is the email associated with this person can you hear me yes yes we can hear

087you Erin good evening Newberg school board members staff and support my name is Aaron Ochoa I am a Newberg School District Parent who has chosen to pull my child from public school until things in our district are worked out I.E mask requirements removed Pride Flags BLM and posters removed as well and safety and learning become a main focus in our schools again I am also a Newberg High School graduate I ask that the board allow all medical and religious exemptions for our teachers and staff and to keep all staff in their current assigned positions not for them to be shifted out to out of classroom assignments and virtual learning based on their vaccine status I also would like to ask the board to help review exemptions well also keeping the teachers privacy who are seeking

088exemptions I understand there is a great pressure from the governor to get all teachers and staff in the school vaccinated but our teachers shouldn't have to fear losing their jobs or being shamed by other staff based on their medical or religious beliefs thank you thank you Aaron right next I have Veronica Lopez and then on Deck I have Georgia Larson hi Veronica hi can you see me I can't hear you fine go ahead okay perfect thank you um it was very hard for me to prepare and know what to say tonight I'm at a loss of words with everything going on the past few weeks in our community students talking about a slave trade and an employee showing up in blackface this is disgusting in astonishing and it shows that there's prevalent racism in Newburgh

089this should not be happening in our community I am a child of a Mexican and white parent um my and my son is also half black I always felt less than my white peers and felt that I did not get the same opportunities as my wife peers in school and I don't know if I mentioned I did grow up in Newburgh and I did do all my school and here graduated I'm scared for my son if I keep him in this community because he is black am I going to have to change his hairstyle the way he chooses to dress to conform to their racism in this community um I'm concerned like what if when he gets older and he starts driving and he gets pulled over is he going to be judged by his

090skin color and not by his intelligence and the person he is inside because he has the biggest heart of anybody that I know I guess I just don't get how you don't want your minority by Punk or lgbtq students to feel welcome all because one white privileged man decided it would be a great idea to remove these from the classroom because they don't affect him personally or maybe he feels intimidated by them because um they could have the better education and be better at the job than him um and he can accept somebody who is bypoc or lgbtq plus to be in this place how can the board assure me that my son will get the same education and be treated fairly in school and get the same uh attention as someone who is not

091a minority or who is privileged students cannot learn and be affected be effective if they do not feel safe in the classroom thank you thank you Veronica right we have Georgia Larson next and then Cooper Oaks hey I see Georgia coming on okay we can hear you just fine Georgia go ahead good evening my name is Georgia Larson I applaud Newberg school board for their decision to keep politics from being front and center in our schools highlighting some groups over others is more about political agendas and the good of the students but students are caught in the middle for sure students that feel marginalized need help but these flags are not a long-term solution as we are seeing they actually tend to divide rather than unify or promote peace what would be truly healthy for

092our community is to emphasize the ideals that are already symbolized in our American flag ideals in which every citizen can take pride equality of personhood Liberty Justice Integrity courage unity and diversity one nation under God we have not always lived up to these but they are standards toward which we strive if we focus on either celebrating or denigrating certain groups the pendulum will continue to swing back and forth pitting people against one another as we have seen happen with violence across our nation school should not be the breeding or Battleground for controversy rather it should be a safe and welcoming place for all students to be able to focus on academics becoming the best they can be and celebrating the things that bring them together thank you Georgia all right next up we have Cooper

093Oaks and then um on Deck is Mary Jane bachmeyer see Brooks is in Cooper go ahead and unmute there hi there can you all hear me yeah we'll hear you just fine okay thank you so much um hi I'm Cooper Oaks and I am a sophomore at Newburgh high school and I would also like to state that I've been openly gay since seventh grade and I've never experienced or witnessed any sorts of homophobia or racism back at Mountain View that I can remember but um this ban on pride and black lives matter flags and clothing is disappointing to see and overall pointless I know you mentioned that you don't want these in the school because they are political but you have to realize that allowing the American flag in school is more political than anything

094these flags represent the people that are expressing themselves and who they are inside we as a society need to teach children and even adults that you should love and respect everybody no matter the color of their skin or their gender identity or their sexuality instead by bringing this band it is showing that you have no respect or love for me or my peers I'm sure you've also heard about the Snapchat group chat and the teacher showing up in blackface keep in mind this was an elementary school these are children that are 10 and younger and their brains haven't even fully developed yet I can't imagine how confused and scared they must have been when they saw a teacher the person that is supposed to be helping them succeed in life show up in blackface that

095is terrible and shows how unsafe and untrustworthy our school district is and if I'm being completely honest I do not see any of you trying to help this is very unfortunate and it has even got to the point where I've had a conversation with my mom about my future at this high school and frankly the school district I'm ashamed to attend a school that has people representing it that have no respect for any of their students when will we be safe it starts with slurs and insults but eventually will lead to suicides and even school shootings I'm scared for my safety and the safety of my friends and even some of them have spoken before me at the same board meeting and as far as I see none of you are doing anything to change

096this I would also like to say if you are upset over a flag with some colors and words on it then I strongly urge you to get a hobby that's all I have to say thank you for listening thank you Cooper all right next up is Mary Jane buckmire and then on Deck I have Carol or Terrell Palmer there's Mary Jane go ahead and unmute thank you sorry no problem go ahead good evening my name is Mary Jane bachmeyer and I'm speaking on behalf of the Newberg Education Association executive board and our membership every student deserves an education at a public school especially at every Newberg public school where they can feel safe welcomed and validated Educators deserve to work in a building where their health and safety are respected as well individual members of

097our school board are entrusted with the management of our school district but they almost so must do so within the Constitutional and contractual rights of its Educators the school board must resume the policy banning all symbols except the Oregon and American flags our educators are invested in Equitable and inclusive schools we strive to create classrooms and curricula that are validating to all our students using bypoc and pride support symbols are part of this environment students need to know who their allies are when they feel the need to talk or safe space just to be themselves the Department of Education and other professional organizations have recognized this time in history is a key educational moment you've heard from our school counselors and psychologists about the professional organizations that have researched have the research to back the

098needs of our marginalized students they've released resources for educators to use mindfully to address the issues of equity and inclusion in our schools the current board policy with this overly broad reach limits the ways in which professional Educators and staff can meet the needs of all of our students and the policy put forward by the board is limiting the educational growth and learning for our students classroom teachers interact directly with students and families every day and we are the individuals best equipped to decide how to make our students feel safe included and welcomed in their classrooms the Newberg Education Association would be delighted to participate in a standing superintendent committee to work on language which would be collaborative as director pyros requested at the September 14 2021 Newburgh School Goldberg meeting collaboration is a foundation

099of our relationship with the district and therefore with our students and Community working together we can build a stronger Community thank you for your time thank you Mary Jane all right we have Carol Terrell Palmer up next and then oh sorry no go ahead I can't find um Terrell Terrell okay Terrell well then we have Beth molds on m-o-l-z-a-h-noson yes I will foreign I have a best without a last name I won't attempt to promote and see if that is who we are looking for okay foreign not moving up for us no I don't think so oh wait I found her one second I had the incorrect one I see Beth goes on with her last name sorry to the other bed okay there we go okay that is in go ahead and unmute can

100you hear me now Theory just fine go ahead okay I am a 35 Plus year Newberg resident and I'm reading a statement from a parent who wishes to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions for themselves and or their children which of course is concerning so here's the statement I am the parent of a student in the Newberg school district and as such I have some serious concerns about the curriculum and the way my child is being indoctrinated to push a narrative I think has no place in school a teacher's political or social stance has no business being shared with my student and shouldn't impact the lesson being taught the focus should be on education pure and simple teach my child math Reading Writing and science but please do not teach my child about sexuality

101religion or politics do not share your beliefs with my child I am the parent and will choose what I feel is appropriate to be taught when it comes to this the argument over allowing the BLM or lgbtq Flags in our schools is causing the focus to shift teachers and staff are feeling compelled to defend the beliefs they have well I don't take issue with you believing what you choose I think the same Grace should be given to those who don't I think the flag issue is a platform used to create issues where it doesn't exist the kids that need to know they are loved and accepted should be getting the same treatment as they would regardless of the flag flying in your classroom or office you're choosing to hold one class above another by continuing

102to argue this point there are plenty of children in the school district who don't fall under the bypoc or lgbtq label who also need your support and to know that they are accepted and loved for exactly who they are thank you thank you Beth I found Terry Palmer and I'm promoting now great thank you hi guys can you hear me go ahead um my thanks to the board for allowing me to uh comment on the proposed ban on political and controversial displays I have been in the community for greater than 10 years I have three children children all of which attended and graduated from Newburgh School District my youngest just graduated this past June so my wife and I are very familiar with many of the staff the administration the daily activities that take place

103at the school from conversations with our kids and with the Educators the views I expressed this evening are solely my own they have no affiliation with any group organization I'm speaking tonight in support of the band the board's decision to ban political and contribution to controversial displays in the classroom in schools today the debate is centered on two particular groups LBG TQ and BLM who are political groups as evidenced by their actions statements and their lobbyist activities in 2020 lgbtq spent 7.6 million dollars contributing to political candidates 98 of the donations went to democratic candidates this two percent of Republicans data on BLM is not readily available at this time mainly due to their questionable accounting practices that aside the question then becomes one of if some political groups are allowed in our schools what

104additional one should be supported and promoted and which one should not and then who gets to decide for my viewpoint is a very slippery slope and regardless of the decision made some group is going to be offended and certainly decision making should not be made up in the court of public opinion as a tax paying Community member the sole mission of our school should be the academic education of our students as a parent I can tell you that academically Newberg has a long ways to go to meet the basic needs of this and and this entire debate is wasted time and energy I know others will argue that these flags are inclusive and accepting accepting to which I counted the flag flying of a political organization is more about posturing than action I challenge the

105board it's a far better use of time to concentrate on Crafting education and enforcing rules and tangible policies that ensure so for the rights and every story exactly thank you for your time thank you Terry all right Jack criz k-r-i-z that's who I'm seeing next with Kelly betcher on Deck b-e-t-c-h-e-r hello hi Jack no you can go ahead and begin alrighty thank you it has been disgusting to learn of slave trade by students in blackface by staff at Newburgh schools this board and others can be blamed for an atmosphere that condemns vote condones vulgar language and outright racist acts it's abhorrent that in 2021 Newberg Oregon is embroiled in a heated debate about race one that is laced with death threats the board has a policy in the works that black lives matter and other

106flags be banned technically fundamentally this issue can be distilled to one question are these flags political in nature of course they are millions millions marched including in Newberg to support the black lives do indeed matter others view the dln flag as advocating the violent overthrow of our country being political and therefore expressing an opinion your policy would ban it what about another flag the U.S flag it too is political the British of 1776 certainly thought so recent pickups driving around at the U.S file eggs flying is that not political portions are adorned with U.S flags coupled with some of George Collins seven dirty words aimed toward the other side aren't these two political uses of our flag even Zoom meetings can't escape the political display of Old Glory it's become closer closer excuse me it's

107become crystal clear that the board has stepped into a quick stand of their own making a morass from which they can't escape with any sense of even-handedness any sense of verify and any sense of consistency in the policies you set so board members band flags and that means all flags with no exception if you must but then refocus on providing a pluralistic comprehensive education for our students our community and our future use this Fierce debate as a teachable moment with targeted age-appropriate curriculum fostering skills in yes critical thinking and skills developing independent conclusions and opinions in our future leaders thank you very much all right thank you Jack okay next I have Kelly betcher Chelsea shots that's shots as with two at T's oh there's Kelly unmute there we go all right I'm gonna talk

108fast since I don't have much time so my name is Kelly betcher I'm a parent of three kids that have been involved in the Newberg School District we specifically bought a house in Newburgh because it had a dual language program and that felt like a safe and diversified environment for our kids to go to and it was and I'm super thankful for that but I've got a kid at Mabel rush now and I've got a kid to middle school and all of a sudden it doesn't feel like a safe environment to send my kids to and that's super super sad and I'd like we are gonna say that we're against blackface and we're against the slave trade but the fact is that the actions of these four board members have specifically laid the foundation that

109this sort of behavior is okay in our school and it is not okay it is not okay and I'd like to remind you we weren't in the news for being a flag waving town we weren't in the national news until the four of you put a ban on BLM in Pride Flags now we're in Newsweek Washington Post New York Times one of the board members one of the Lars Larson show for the first time I felt like I should sell my house and pull my kids but then I remember you do not represent the majority of this town in fact I don't know who you represent so read the percent of Voters didn't even turn out for the last School Board election who do you represent you don't represent me you don't represent my kids

110you don't represent minority underserved underprivileged kids in the Newburgh School District I know who's been very vocal against you so I'd like to remind you you don't represent mayor Rick Rogers Newburgh city council Newburgh Chamber of Commerce the angel County Commissioner Casey coola and the Newberg Education Association the Oregon Department of Education the Oregon State Board of Education Oregon Secretary of State Oregon House and Senate education chairs Oregon House Majority leaders it's a long list of Representatives in the Democratic caucus and even the American civil liberties Union have spoken out against you so where's your long list of supporters you have created an echo chamber for yourselves and I'd like to remind you that the color of your skin and your gender identity are not and will never be political so rescind the ban or

111resign thank you Kelly thank you all right Chelsea shots and then Christina Lakey is on Deck can you hear me yeah Chelsea hi my name is Chelsea Schatz my pronouns are she her and I'm an EA at Dundee Elementary School directors Brown Shannon de heart and Powell I hope you have truly listened to our students voices and I am so so thankful to each and every one of you young people who share tonight while the boldness of their hay and ignorance is baffling the boldness of your empathy and sense of self is awe-inspiring and gives us all hope they express the importance of the inclusive spaces that staff have created as a queer person who didn't come out until I was in my mid-20s I wonder just how differently my life would have been had

112I known that one of the most innate aspects of my identity wasn't going to be a subject of hate and derision my identity is not political when I put signs in my classroom my only goal is to be there so no other young person has to go through the same self-loathing and confusion that I experienced for a majority of my life it's become hard to gauge whether you are actively trying to not understand the importance of these symbols or just cannot comprehend what life may be like from another person's perspective it's a shame and it's an embarrassment what the four of you have done has fostered an environment for more incidents of trauma for our youth to experience you have also illegally hired separate and unimproved Council in your quest for a culture War the

113disrespect that this shows to your staff who are already barely making a living wage is appalling rather than paying us living wages you choose to spend roughly what I make in a month per meeting on an illegal Council I'm going to say that again roughly what I make in a month is being spent in a four hour meeting on an illegal Council for your culture War my mental health has continuously deteriorated based off of this and I cannot even begin to Fathom the effects that this is having as young children and will continue to have on our black and queer students as an adult I have coping skills I have support I have meds most of our kids don't have that okay our schools are a safe place my pride and BLM signs will remain

114in their place as long as I am a Newburgh employee and finally to anyone out there who is hurting I am here for you I love you and I value you be brave and be known thank you Chelsea Christina Lakey and then on Deck we have sherry twinge although we're down to four minutes so these will be our last two hi can you hear me yeah we can hear you just fine okay thank you for providing this opportunity to be heard this evening my name is Christina Lakey I am the parent of the Newberg High School student I simply want to add my voice to those who support the ban on political signs and flags in our schools it seems like those who oppose the ban are making something of it that is not even

115true How can having no political signs or Flags be political but insisting on BLM lgbtq signs and plagues be non-political regardless of how often or how loudly people who oppose the ban say it's a political decision that argument makes absolutely no sense can you please leave the teaching of beliefs and values to parents and get back to teaching our kids fundamentals so that they can be better educated and better prepared to compete for jobs or go on to further their education and briefly I would also like to say that I hope our school district will step up and oppose the vaccine mandate these Jabs are experimental in nature and just as pro-abortion activists tell us my body my choice even though with abortion there's another body involved but when it comes to experimental drugs the

116government is telling us that while it is my body it is not my choice about what to have injected into it thank you for listening thank you Christina all right and Sherry twins t-w-eng e I am attempting to uh promote Sherry 20. thank you for correcting no words I apologize there we go hi Sherry hello hi there you get the final word you can go ahead and get start when you like okay can you hear me now I can hear you just fine go ahead I'm reading this for a staff member concerned about retribution against themselves and their children as an employee of Newburgh school district and a parent of two NHS students I am deeply saddened by the issues currently plaguing our students there are issues that battling factions are having while hiding behind

117the premise that this turmoil over the BLM and pride Flags is in the best interest of students how can an inanimate object such as a flag talk to our student choosing words facial expressions or nonverbal cues showing feelings it cannot it is Staff connecting with students through compassionate and caring communication that creates the environment that children thrive in our students want attention and understanding from adults peers and friends we have a duty to all students within our beautiful Community to maintain the classroom environment as a setting for learning the required academic standards this leaves no room for educators personal beliefs morals and values to be imparted as wisdom onto our students this is my job as their parent at home I want my child to learn in an inclusive environment that was created wholly by

118the amazing teachers that use the learning standards to create an incredible lesson that inspired my child giving them the confidence to leave the classroom and go out into the world rather than being subjected to political and social views that have no place in the classroom this battle over flags that is so important to some administrators and staff some school board members as well as some in the community makes my child feel like no one cares about what is truly important to them and that would be their academic education my child wants to learn and be taught not walk into their classroom and see the American flag has been taken down and to be bombarded by the latest rant on social media about hate and poor Behavior by staff my child wants to learn how to

119navigate communicate and grow academically instead of feeling like an outcast lost amongst the noisy drama thank you thank you Sherry hey Vince yes Dave uh I think you only have one left I mean we're right there I know we're at our time but I have I have one left on my list okay so Rob molds on hi there can you hear me I can hear you just fine go ahead all right thank you there's been a lot of good statements made tonight on the support of the um the ban of the these political flags and instead of reading what I was going to read I'll read a letter that came in from a concerned parent uh I'm Rob molzon I'm a 35-year resident of Newburgh and I'll be reading a statement of a parent who

120believes that they could lose their job or would be mistreated if they speak up as a Dundee resident and a contributing taxpayer to the school system I expect politics and political signs and flags to be removed from the school grounds teachers can have their opinion once they are off the clock while employed by the city or county government entity I expect those employees to be apolitical I do not fund political groups and definitely do not want my taxes to pay for political rhetoric please remove the signs and stick to educating our children I also oppose the vaccine mandate due to the lack of research and unfinished clinical trials many of us have been infected by covid and now have a greater immunity than the covid shot provides once again let's stop with the political rhetoric

121in schools and return to educating our children thank you very much thank you Rob and that concludes our list that that was prepared for tonight uh I want to express appreciation for everybody who gave impassioned responses tonight or comment tonight and I regret that we can't get to everyone that was on this long list that I have before me I also want to express appreciation for our translators who worked very hard tonight uh to make this an inclusive meeting and I want to uh Express appreciation to my partner uh Jen who is pulling up people and bringing them into the meeting so with that I yield back the meeting back to the chair uh Vince uh Jen great job bench nice to have you here tonight you sure helped a ton uh really appreciate that

122that's a tough job uh that kind of concludes our meeting we had uh a few people that didn't get uh to come tonight so we'll try to uh you know next meeting uh or whatever if we have another session uh so again thank you for everybody for calling in thank you everybody for the special listening session to the public and our next school board meeting will be next Tuesday uh the 28th so Vince again uh thank you very much for spending your time helping us out uh and Jen thanks for a pretty tough night there you know juggling all that great job so uh with that we'll adjourn the meeting tonight and we'll uh we'll see all you uh board members and I'm looking at Shiloh there and Dr Joe we'll see you guys next

123Tuesday so Vince again thank you thanks my pleasure