Another LGBTQ Pride symbol desecrated at Paso Robles High School
Someone desecrated an LGBTQ Pride face mask at Paso Robles High School on Tuesday morning — the second reported homophobic incident at the North County school in recent weeks.
Principal Anthony Overton called the action “hateful, intolerant and inexcusable” in a note sent to Bearcat families, students, faculty, staff and community members on Tuesday.
Both school officials and the Paso Robles Police Department are investigating the incident, but a suspect or suspects have not been identified as of Wednesday, according to Overton.
Overton did not release any additional information about how the mask was desecrated, saying it could jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
Paso High students told The Tribune the school hadn’t told them any additional information either.
“The action of this student or students is unacceptable and intolerable,” Overton wrote in his letter. “Individuals participating in acts of hate like this will face the most severe consequences available to us in the education code and will be reported to law enforcement.”
Overton encouraged parents of students to “have a conversation” about how “words and actions can truly carry a lasting impact on the lives of others.”
“We must treat people with understanding and respect even when we disagree,” he wrote in his Tuesday letter. “We must report incidents of hate and intolerance immediately, as these incidents must stop. And remember, in a world where you can be anything, always be kind.”
Pride flag defecated on in earlier homophobic incident the school
This is at least the second homophobic incident at the school in the past month.
The first incident happened in mid-September, when a student ripped a LGBTQ Pride flag off a teacher’s classroom wall and then later posted a video on TikTok of him defecating on the flag after trying to flush it down the toilet.
After the incident, the school district implemented a new classroom flag policy — banning flags larger than 2 by 2 feet and any flags that were alterations of the American flag.
Students at Paso High said this policy effectively banned LGBTQ flags, which are not alterations of the American flag, but often can’t be bought in sizes smaller than 2 by 3 feet.
“Someone defecated on a Pride flag. So the school takes away the Pride flag, not the homophobia?” Danny Perez, a senior at Paso High, told The Tribune at the time.
On Tuesday, Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Superintendent Curt Dubost sent a memo to district faculty detailing a revision to the flag policy.
Now, teachers can display Pride flags that are up to 2 by 3 feet, Dubost said, which is the standard size of a classroom American flag.
“We want to be clear that the choice to display, within these guidelines, is entirely up to the individual teacher and wish to assure all students they will always be safe and welcome in all of our classrooms regardless of what is or isn’t displayed on their walls,” Dubost wrote.
‘Coming Out Against Hate’ forum set for Wednesday night at Paso High
The second homophobic incident and Dubost’s update on the Pride flag policy came just before students were set to host a “Coming Out Against Hate” forum at Paso Robles High School.
Students organized the event, scheduled for Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Paso Robles High School performing arts center.
The forum is an opportunity for students to “share their experiences and visions for a more welcoming, inclusive educational environment,” and was billed as the first of its kind in Paso Robles, according to a news release.
The goal of the educational event was to shed light on the homophobia students face at school and how it has impacted them. Students planned to share their stories, and a short film will be shown featuring LGBTQ students talking about the challenges of high school.
A Q&A for community members will follow the students’ stories.
