Politics on the campus of Belle Chasse high school has school board members crafting a new lesson plan on how to handle it after a senior prank caused backlash from the community.
That recent senior prank came with a political message that’s now at the center of a debate in Plaquemines Parish. A photo shows Belle Chasse High School students posing on campus with an American flag and a Trump flag. The words “liberals suck” are written on the sidewalk. There’s also video of a Trump flag on a flagpole on the side of the school.
“This was demeaning,” said Plaquemines Parish School Board president Darilyn Turner.
She said once she became aware of what happened, there was an investigation, which has now turned into redoing the policy for politics on campus.
“My hope is that we can pass policies that we can effect change that this will never happen again,” said Turner.
Never happening again is one thing, but Tracy Riley, President of the Plaquemines Parish NAACP says accountability needs to happen now.
“I didn’t get a high level of confidence tonight they were going to actually apply it to this situation because their language was about from this day forward and for future instances,” said Riley.
Some community members say past instances come into play as well, alleging pranks done by black students were often met with harsher punishments. Belle Chasse senior Breanna Morris says that’s problematic and this recent prank doesn’t help.
“It was very disappointing to see that as a senior because it just shows me that you’re telling me my beliefs as a person suck,” said Morris when she addressed board members.
Riley says that’s something that carries over, beyond just a high school prank.
“I’m concerned for the message that it is giving to those children and how they are to conduct themselves as adults in society,” said Riley.
School leaders wouldn’t publicly comment on what actions were taken against the students involved in the recent prank. As far as creating new policy, board member will come up with recommendations to be voted on by the board.