Norwin resident seeks racial sensitivity, diversity training for school staff after students wore Confederate flag clothing

A Norwin resident upset over two high school students wearing Confederate flag clothing last week wants the district to consider instituting training programs for racial sensitivity and diversity inclusion.

LaSchalle Armstrong of North Huntingdon asked school officials Monday to consider having the racial sensitivity training for the staff, who are supervising the school buildings, along with diversity inclusion training at each school. Armstrong offered to help with such training or to provide references.

In line with meeting procedures, neither the administrators nor school board members responded to Armstrong during the meeting.

Board President Brian Carlton declined to comment on the request afterward.

Superintendent Jeff Taylor could not be reached for comment.

“This Confederate flag symbolizes a statement of racism. This flag is used by white supremacists and used for a racial intimidation factor,” Armstrong said during a public comment portion of the virtual school board meeting. The flag symbolizes a South that fought to uphold slavery, she noted.

She could not be reached for further comment.

Armstrong said it was her daughter who told the administration on Oct. 11 that two students were wearing the clothing during ‘Merica Monday as part of Norwin’s homecoming week celebrations. Students had been encouraged to wear red, white and blue as a way to show support for the United States. Taylor said the administration quickly responded and the students changed their clothing.

Pictures of the students wearing the Confederate flag-styled clothing circulated on social media and were sent to newspapers and televisions stations in the Pittsburgh area.

An opposing view was offered by Deanna Betras of North Huntingdon, who told the board she was protesting what she considered an unequal treatment of students “looking to express themselves and their beliefs through the clothing they wear.”

Those students were singled out, while other students are permitted and encouraged to wear clothing that is political and offensive to others, Betras said. She criticized the district for sending what she claimed was “mixed messaging” and unfairly applying arbitrary rules.

“The Confederate flag is offensive to some. The BLM (Black Lives Matter) banner is offensive to some. God is offensive to some. Atheists are offensive to some,” Betras said.

Either the school district should ban all clothing with political symbolism or permit students to wear that clothing, Betras said.

It is not the school district’s job “to determine what constitutes an offensive political position,” Betras said.