Friday, October 9 was the last day that the Pride Flag greeted students at the entrance to Sonoma High. The evening of October 8 the Sonoma Valley Unified School Board voted 3-2, that only the U.S. and California flags will be flown at Sonoma Valley High School. In a sad and ironic twist, the following day was Homecoming, arguably the happiest day in the life of the school. In the past months Sonoma High students, both gay and straight, have made clear, in heartfelt and eloquent statements, the importance of the Pride Flag flying for their sense of well-being and confidence that their school is a safe place for everyone, where intolerance, hatred and prejudice are not allowed.
The decision was the last item on the Board’s agenda. Option 1, which provided for only the national and state flags to be flown, was approved at 9:22, following about twenty minutes of discussion. President David Bell opened that by reading a very lengthy statement which addressed why he had directed the acting superintendent to have the Pride Flag taken down, pending a discussion at the next month’s board meeting. His remarks were based on what he called the “precedent of inequality,” and the deeper problem of “bias and a lack of viewpoint neutrality” reflected in flying just the Pride Flag year-round.
The ultimate Adoption of Option 1 was preceded by unsuccessful motions on the two other options before the Board. First, Trustee Anne Ching moved, based on her constituents’ position, the adoption of Option 3, which overall would have maintained the status quo, keeping the Pride Flag flying as it had since 2019, until its removal in January at the direction of President Bell. Trustee Gerardo Guzman seconded the motion, affirming that Option 3 most reflected the original student impulse which led to raising the Pride Flag. The Option failed 2 -3, with only Guzman joining Ching to support it; Bell and Trustees Landry and Lehman voted against it. Ching called for the “preferential vote” of Student Voice Austin Cheeseman, who voted “aye” in what is a symbolic vote…