Athens school principal under fire for asking student to remove ‘Gay is OK’ art from class wall

ATHENS, Ga. — An Athens elementary school principal is under fire after a child was asked to remove her rainbow pride drawing that was hung on the wall, and he was later caught on camera popping rainbow-colored balloons.

The incident happened at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School. According to lawyers representing the child’s family and her teachers, a fifth-grader was asked to remove a drawing that read “Gay is OK” from a classroom wall after a parent complained.

Attorney Jeffrey Jackson has posted transcripts of a conversation between the child’s teacher and OAES principal Bipul Singh, as well as a surveillance video captured days later that shows him popping rainbow balloons left at the school.

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In the transcript, Singh tries to explain his reasoning to ask the student to remove her artwork, saying he doesn’t want to spark conversations about sexual orientation that might make some families uncomfortable.

The teacher pushes back, arguing that her students are 10 and 11 and some have queer parents, and that she wants her students to be their authentic selves. She then seems to reference a conversation another school administrator who compared the Pride flag to Nazi symbolism.

Jackson has also posted surveillance video of Singh popping a bouquet of rainbow balloons that were left at the school after the story became public.

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Channel 2 Action News has reached out to Athens-Clarke County School District officials, who said they do not have a statement at this time but they are aware of the video.

The district did send a letter to parents, confirming the incident happened and apologizing. Acting superintendent Bannon Gaskins also said that the staff members involved would not be publicly disciplined, but the district would try to “do better.”

‘Dear Clarke County School District Community,

I want to provide an update regarding an incident involving a student’s artwork and the subsequent reaction from our community. The following is a synopsis of the series of events:

• A parent raised a concern regarding a student’s artwork displayed in a classroom. This concern was not based on a lack of support for the subject matter but rather on its potential to become a source of bullying of her child.
• Recognizing the challenges of navigating age-appropriate conversations in an elementary classroom, district administrators advised the school to have the teacher relocate the artwork in the classroom.
• While discussing the situation with the teacher and explaining the rationale for moving the artwork, a school staff member made a reference to Nazi symbolism.

‘We wholeheartedly condemn this reference and apologize for the harm these events have caused the student, the Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary community, CCSD, and the entire Athens community, specifically members and allies of our LGBTQIA+ community.

‘We provided the staff member with the opportunity to explain the situation and context and encouraged reflection on their choice of words and the subsequent impact on members of our community.

‘Unfortunately, this situation has led some to conclude that our district does not value inclusivity and diversity. We absolutely and unequivocally support our LGBTQIA+ community and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation. We recognize and embrace the diverse identities of our staff and students. We remain committed to providing a welcoming environment and positive school culture for students, families, and employees.

‘We disagree with the suggestion that the staff member should be subject to a visible disciplinary action. We acknowledge this situation could have been handled with more care, thought, and attention. While CCSD welcomes constructive criticism and will always strive to improve, we respectfully request our community refrain from making personal attacks on individuals.

‘This week, I will meet with the faculty of Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary and community partners to acknowledge the pain this has caused our district and the Athens-Clarke County community. Our goal is to help us better understand our mistakes and ultimately grow from the experience. Our commitment is to do better.

Sincerely, Brannon F. Gaskins

Acting Superintendent’

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