Committee Formed To Eye Political Speech At Concord High School

CONCORD, NH — Concerns about "white supremacy" and the display of a "thin blue line" flag in a classroom as well as other issues have led Concord High School to revisit its political speech policies.

Michael Reardon, the school's principal, informed parents on Thursday that about a month ago, a committee of students, parents, and administrators was formed to "draft additional policy" for the SAU 8 board of education to consider regarding "broadly defined political speech in school." The issue came to be after concerns were raised about the display of a "thin blue line" flag in a classroom at the Concord Regional Technical Center. The flag, which is similar to an American flag, only with blue and white stripes and a single black stripe down the middle, has been displayed by police departments, first responders, and those who support them because "it has come to represent pride in their profession and honor for colleagues who have lost their lives in the line of duty," Reardon said.

But, "as with so much else in contemporary American culture," Reardon added, the flag had been "appropriated by other groups who are associated with, among other deeply troubling attitudes, white supremacy."

Patch learned Thursday the flag is displayed in the criminal justice class at CRTC and a demand was made to remove the flag. The flag is also featured on the sweatshirts of the students involved in the program.

Reardon called the issue a difficult one and said he anticipated concerns to multiply in the future.

The issue of "white supremacy" was raised due to students seeing the flag used by some attendees of the Capitol siege in January and the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally in 2017, so there was guilt by association involved with the flag, in some student minds.

After reviewing the board's current free speech policy, Reardon formed the committee to consider changes in policy. The committee has also engaged with an outside facilitator, with legal experience, to counsel committee members.

"In addition to suggesting additional guidelines, they are charged with developing a process whereby members of the CHS community can present concerns regarding political speech in the school and have in place a series of commonly understood steps to adjudicate their issue," Reardon said.

Reardon said his goal for informing the community about the committee and issue was an attempt to address the matter "in a balanced, transparent and considered manner." He added, "As such, we also ask for your patience as this work goes forward."

The issue of political speech at the school and the flag comes at a time when the school and district grapple with a request by some school board members, students, and parents to defund the school resource officer at the school. An SRO has also been proposed for the Rundlett Middle School. The board and district held a three and half hour public meeting to discuss the issue of SROs in schools with a relatively even split of opinions by students and community members about the issue.

The thin blue line flag being removed from fire trucks has been an issue in Massachusetts with a number of communities, including Hingham, Weymouth, and Somerville, removing the flag due to complaints from some residents despite firefighters wanting to stand in solidary with law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

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