The diversity posters are back on the wall at a Northern Virginia high school whose principal had ordered them taken down a week ago — and a few new ones have been added to the mix.
The final poster paid tribute to the school mascot: As one, we are Pioneers.
The students in Prince William County put up the posters on Feb. 6 because they wanted to promote acceptance of marginalized groups. But Michael Bishop, the school’s principal, had them removed less than a day later. That decision sparked complaints by students in the school and on social media.
In an email to the school community Thursday evening, Bishop explained that while the posters mentioned several groups, others had felt left out.
“Something intended as a source of positive discussion rapidly became disruptive to our educational routine,” he wrote.
Bishop did not elaborate on which groups felt left out — or why. He told students that a suggestion box would be made available Friday for them to “offer their thoughts about the many groups that need to be represented as part of our inclusive community.”
On Tuesday, Bishop notified students that the original posters had been put back on the walls as well as new ones that reflected the feelings of students who had “felt left out.”
A slideshow on the school’s website shows photos of the posters, old and new, on the hallway wall. The additions include: As one we are American; As one we are Native American; We can all co-exist: Jewish, Hindu, Christian, Catholic; and, We are Human, We are Family: Indonesian, South Asian, White, Indian, Arab, Middle-Eastern, Men.
“A minor controversy is great for getting people talking,” Bishop wrote. “Now, I hope the discussion continues, as we explore the commonalities we share, along with the differences that enrich us all.”