MILFORD, Del.- After more than two hours of public comment, the Milford School Board has decided to postpone a final decision on a policy regarding the handling of controversial or sensitive topics in classrooms.
Prior to Monday night's meeting, parents, teachers, and students from the district displayed signs advocating for free speech and opposing classroom censorship. They voiced opposition to the proposed policy, which seeks to regulate discussions on contentious issues within school settings.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ALCU) of Delaware has been a vocal critic of the policy since its initial drafting last month.
"We are very concerned about this," stated Mike Brickner, Executive Director of ACLU Delaware, criticizing the policy's broad restrictions on ideological and political statements, as well as its mandate to present multiple viewpoints on controversial topics. "There are numerous subjects, including evolution, the Holocaust, LGBTQ rights, and civil rights, where opposing perspectives may not have a good place being taught in the curriculum."
The Milford School Board provided context for the introduction of the policy at the start of Monday's meeting, citing a complaint from parents of a Jewish student. Allegedly, the student felt threatened and unsupported due to the presence of a Black Lives Matter flag in their classroom. According to the complaint, the student referenced statements by some BLM members supporting Hamas attacks on Israel as justified "self-defense."
Defending their stance, the Milford School Board stated that the policy aims to uphold principles of free thought and free speech.
Board members say they intend to reintroduce the policy for a vote once a group of board members, teachers, and community members have thoroughly discussed and reached a consensus on its details. A specific date has not been set.