LGBTQ flag in NC elementary school sparks social media buzz. But is it what critics say?

The original post includes a photo of an LGBTQ progress pride flag hanging on a wall at Crown Point Elementary in Matthews.

“Charlotte elementary school has THIS hanging in its hallway!!” Sloan Rachmuth captioned the photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday. “Yet another example of the socialist indoctrination camps @MicheleMorrowNC talks about.”

Rachmuth, along with Mecklenburg County Moms for Liberty Chair Brooke Weiss, say the flag is an intentional attempt to flout state law prohibiting instruction of “gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality” in kindergarten through fourth grade.

However, when The Charlotte Observer went to the school Wednesday afternoon, the flag was hanging in a side hallway in the school’s front office, lined with administrative offices and around the corner from the school’s front desk — not in a hallway with classrooms. Some parents who have children at the school say the picture has been deliberately taken out of context for political motives.

Online outcry

Rachmuth is the executive director of Pen & Shield, a nonprofit newsroom, and a spokesperson for Michele Morrow’s campaign. Morrow is running as the Republican nominee for North Carolina superintendent of public instruction this November. She has previously called public schools “indoctrination centers,” and came under national scrutiny in recent weeks for her previous calls for the executions of Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama.

Rachmuth says the flag hanging at Crown Point is meant to undermine North Carolina’s Senate Bill 49, also referred to as the Parents’ Bill of Rights. The legislation took effect in August and has several provisions outlining the kinds of school records parents have access to. It also prohibits instruction about sexual orientation, sexuality and gender identity for children in elementary school.

Rachmuth urged parents Wednesday via X to contact Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools about the flag and tweeted that Morrow’s campaign would be bringing a town hall to Matthews in response to the incident.

The Charlotte Observer was unable to get further comment from Rachmuth. She blocked an Observer reporter working on the story shortly after the reporter followed her on X. The reporter also reached out to the Morrow campaign directly and did not receive a response.

Weiss also contends that the flag’s presence violates state law.

“Moms for Liberty lobbied for the passage of the Parents’ Bill of Rights which says that instruction on gender identity and sexuality cannot be taught or discussed in kindergarten through fourth grade; however, educators are allowed to respond to a child’s question. That is why that flag is on the wall,” Weiss said in a statement to The Observer. “I have video recordings of CMS teachers participating in Zoom trainings where they give each other ideas on how to subvert the Parents’ Bill of Rights. Hanging flags like this on the wall was one of many suggestions in one of those Zoom meetings. The idea is that a teacher can respond when a child asks a question about that flag.”

Weiss urged parents to contact CMS about the matter.

“I encourage parents to let CMS administrators know how they feel about a small number of activist teachers trying to get around the Parents’ Bill of Rights and undermine their right to decide when is the appropriate time to discuss sexuality with their children,” Weiss said.

Community response

Others in the Matthews community say the flag is a symbol of inclusion and its presence does not qualify as instruction. Laura Casey has a daughter who attends Crown Point.

“It’s not an area that students are getting instruction in,” said Casey, who uses they/them pronouns. “Existence isn’t indoctrination. For the people that need to feel affirmed by it in an administrative place, it lets them know they’re welcome.”

Casey says the online outcry from Rachmuth, Weiss and like-minded followers doesn’t accurately reflect the views of the immediate Crown Point community.

“From what I’ve seen ... the people who are angry about it are not members of our community,” they said. “It hurts that people who are not members of our community could have so much sway when it comes to things that matter to us.”

Renee Garner is a member of the Town of Matthews Board of Commissioners and has children in CMS. She says she hasn’t heard from anyone who finds the flag problematic, and she believes the online posts are efforts at political posturing.

“All I can gather is it’s some sort of stunt to get an ultra-conservative state-level candidate some attention,” Garner said.

Casey agrees.

“To have it presented as if this is an issue of instruction is dishonest and damaging to our community,” they said. “Rachmuth is using it as a talking point against CMS schools. She says it’s a violation of SB49, and she’s trying to rally parents to lash out at our school and CMS in general.”

Cameron Pruette is the president of LGBTQ+ Democrats of Mecklenburg County. He advocated against Senate Bill 49 before it passed.

“We warned that things like this would happen. Things get taken out of context and shared. The law is so vaguely written that it creates confusion about how it needs to be implemented,” Pruette said. “Districts now have to figure out how to comply or face a lawsuit.”

CMS has not responded to requests for comment, nor has it clarified whether the flag violates any of its current policies. As of Wednesday at 3 p.m., the flag still hung in the administrative office at Crown Point.

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