NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — In an unexpected move, the New Hanover County Board of Education voted 4-3 to adopt a temporary addition to Policy 7300.
The policy change was introduced by Board Member Pat Bradford Tuesday night less than 30 minutes before the school board voted on it, without the standard review process, or any public input.
The policy change would limit all displays on school grounds to representations of school mascots, North Carolina, the United States, and approved curriculum.
According to Bradford, the policy is a preventive measure as many educational institutions grapple with pro-Palestinian protests.
“I could see that this was coming, that we would have a need to strengthen what our policies are. It’s a deterrent. It’s just simply a deterrent,” she said at the meeting.
Board members Pat Bradford Pete Wildeboer, Melissa Mason, and Josie Barnhart voted in favor of the policy change. Dissenting members Stephanie Kraybill, Hugh McManus, and Stephanie Walker feel that the policy is too vague, and could violate the first amendment.
“Are they supposed to take everything down in their classroom that doesn’t relate to that? I also brought up the fact that I feel like it’s unconstitutional in a lot of ways, we have the First Amendment for a reason,” Walker said.
At the meeting, Bradford said the policy was introduced to deter what she sees as “anti-American sentiment”
“With so many people being so divisive, and to be honest, so much anti-American sentiment in our country and in our state,” she said.
McManus responded that there has been no evidence of protests relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict in district schools.
“We haven’t discussed this and just don’t feel comfortable passing something when we haven’t had a reason to do it yet,” he said.
Whether or not the board upholds the policy at their next meeting on June 7, for now, schools will have to figure out what the policy means for them.
“There are going to be so many questions that staff are going to have, and principals because they’re the ones in charge of their schools. They’re going to have to figure out how to direct their staff to deal with it,” Walker said.
We reached out to the board members in favor of the policy change, though none were available for comment on Wednesday.