The removal of Sonoma Valley High School’s pride flag on January 16 led to criticism from a large number of students, staff, and community members.
The pride flag, which had been flying on Sonoma Valley High School’s campus since 2019, was removed on Friday, January 16, and remained down for the three-day weekend. On Monday, January 19, Sonoma Valley Unified School District school board president David Bell issued a statement to the district saying, “The Flag – I made a mistake.”
The flag was raised again on Tuesday, January 20. This was accompanied by a student protest that same morning with students gathering and planting a series of flags in the lawns on the Broadway Avenue side of the school.
Following the removal and raising of the flag, there have been significant responses from the public, from both those who agreed with the initial gesture and those who were opposed to its removal.
Teachers and students, however, shared strong sentiments regarding the situation. In response to the initial removal of the flag, many teachers raised their own pride flags in their classroom and began to show support in a variety of ways.
In his statement to the SVUSD community, board president David Bell said, “It is my mistake and for that I apologize.” He also noted a lack of flags flown in his statement, writing “I absolutely support the flying of the pride flag, but not at the exclusion of all other flags.”
Following the removal of the flag, a letter from “The Undersigned Staff of Sonoma Valley High School” was sent out to the SVUSD Board of Trustees, SVUSD, and the Sonoma Valley community. It stated plainly their support for Principal Molly Kiss and the rest of administration. The letter also referred to the flag removal, stating that “decisions affecting our school community must occur through transparent governance, not unilateral actions outside the public process.”
SVHS administration elected not to comment on this matter to Dragon’s Tale, with the exception of a message for all students: They said their job is to support students of all races, ethnicities, genders, and of all sexual orientations, and they are willing to do what is needed to meet that goal.
Bell responded to the Dragon’s Tale’s request for further comment with a transcript from a board meeting that reads:
“I would like to take a moment this evening to address concerns that arose based on a request to have staff remove the pride flag at Sonoma Valley High School. As I acknowledged in my public statement on January 19th, I made a mistake for which I have apologized. In hindsight, I should have chosen to put the issue on the agenda for the board to discuss. After discussions with Acting Superintendent Rena Seifts and incoming Superintendent Jason Sutter, we have determined that the best course of action is to listen to our students. Accordingly, Jason Sutter will lead the planning of a process to hear their voices, which will then be used to guide the board in our discussions so we can formulate a policy that will be inclusive for all students. Our fundamental goal remains. A school environment where every student feels seen, safe, and supported.”
