To celebrate February, Teaching as a Career students decided to put up a bulletin board that had dinosaurs the colors of different LGBTQ+ pride flags.

But principal Gretchen Pontious said no.

The reason? Pontious pointed to the Board of Education rule that states: “Classrooms are not public forums for the display or distribution of political, religious, or personal viewpoints.” 

Sophomore Rimingtin Pickels’ goal for the Valentine’s Day-themed bulletin board was to incorporate the idea that love is love. 

“Our original idea was to take the idea of dinosaurs and, because we claim to be a diverse school, we were going to color the dinosaurs to be different pride flags to showcase different relationships,” Pickels said. 

Pickels noted that the bulletin board wasn’t about making a political statement. 

Rather, it was a gesture to be inclusive and showcase symbolic expression. 

He still put up a board with silly dinosaurs, hoping that the idea that love is love still comes across. 

“We are still sticking with the theme of dinos, but they are going to be regular-colored dinos, and in our hearts we are going to imagine it. But it’s just going to be plain ordinary dinos,” Pickels said.

Pickels has taken pride in creating the Teaching as a Career bulletin boards, often decorating them to be as wacky and as silly as possible

Pickels believes that he should be allowed to express himself through any and all forms possible, including school projects.

Under the First Amendment, students are allowed to express themselves freely through speech, written format and symbolic expression. Many students practice this right freely to the fullest extent. 

Junior Rylee Burton agreed.

“If schools put restricting freedoms from students, (it) is just going to raise not rebellious but resourceful students,” Burton said. “If they have to draw on their arms or decorate their bags because bulletin boards aren’t allowed to be decorated, then they will do it.”