You’ll recall from earlier this year the story of the teacher who put up a poster for the last four years that reads “Everyone is Welcome Here” in her classroom. Then she was told by the school district that her poster was in violation of House Bill 41, which goes into effect July 1. The law prohibits banners that “promote political, religious, or ideological viewpoints.”
The alleged purpose of HB41 is to “maintain a neutral and inclusive environment for all students,” which seems to be exactly what the banner does.
Earlier this year when the school district was pressed on the banner, it responded that the message “Everyone is Welcome Here” wasn’t the problem. KTVB uncovered internal emails revealing the problem was “additional graphics that were on the bubble but ultimately determined to have crossed the line of being potentially political.”
The graphics are raised hands of black, brown, and white skin tones with hearts in the palms. Apparently they felt that the part of HB41 banning “flags or banners that represent political, religious, or ideological views, including but not limited to political parties, race, gender, sexual orientation, or political ideologies” applies to welcoming minority students.
Yesterday, the Attorney General confirmed that a sign declaring that Black, brown, and white kids are all welcome in Idaho’s schools violates HB41. His guidance declares illegal any sign that could “show opinions, emotions, beliefs or thoughts about politics, economics, society, faith or religion.”
Then the AG tries to retcon the “Everyone is Welcome Here” sign as some sort of political statement. He says it derives from “All Are Welcome Here” signs that appeared at a Minnesota school following Trump’s election in 2016. Funny, how Idaho Republicans would think “All Are Welcome Here” is an anti-Trump political statement.
Of course, the AG completely elides the part where the school put up those signs after Trump’s election because MAGA kids at the school had scrawled horrifically racist graffiti all over the school to celebrate Trump’s win.
Then he adds that the Idaho Democratic Party sells versions of the signs. Yes, they did start selling those after the district told her to remove them. The Republicans in Idaho made the sign political by objecting to it in the first place.
The AG concludes his case by noting that the teacher put up the signs shortly after the Minnesota school did in 2017 and she confirmed she did so to “share her personal, ideological beliefs.”
Never mind that she wasn’t a teacher in 2017, she didn’t put up the sign until 2021, she had never heard about the Minneapolis “All Are Welcome Here” story until media asked her for a comment on this opinion yesterday, and that a teacher should have a personal ideology that welcomes students of all races.
Like that little recitation we make the kids pledge that’s dedicated to liberty and justice for all.
It’s time to take Idaho at the Attorney General’s word. Not everyone is welcome there.
