Students protest mural at TVHS, delegate responds | News, Sports, Jobs – The Inter-Mountain
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MILL CREEK — A group of students protested outside Tygarts Valley High School Thursday about a mural on a school wall painted by other students, and a local delegate has communicated his disappointment with the situation.
The small mural, located on a wall inside the school, features a lava lamp and the phrases “Everyone is Equal” and “Treat Everyone with Respect.” The background of the mural was originally painted with rainbow colors, but the background has since been painted black.
On Thursday some students protested outside the school, carrying signs featuring slogans including “Stop the Indoctrination in our School” and “If You Fly the Gay Flag, We Fly Ours!” A petition is being circulated by some of the students, asking the Randolph County Board of Education to remove the mural.
On Thursday evening, Delegate Cody Thompson, D-43rd District, who is also a Randolph County teacher at another school, posted his reaction on social media.
“As a member of the LGBTQ Community, an educator who strives to make sure all students feel safe and secure in school, and a state representative of everyone… Today my heart hurts,” Thompson wrote on Facebook.
“It’s hard for me, and I’m sorry if I disagree if who I am and who I love is ‘Political.’ Because it’s not. I teach civics and government. I strive to make sure all students at my school feel safe and welcomed regardless of their religious or lack of beliefs, their political leanings, their orientation or gender identity, their race, their intellectual and cognitive abilities, their socioeconomic status, their familiar status, or any other exceptionality they may have…
“The event today didn’t happen at my school but it still greatly affected me, as these are my constituents,” Thompson wrote. “Making our schools a more welcoming environment to ALL students is never a bad idea. As educators we want all our students in school and to feel safe there. As a community we should want all of our young people to stay here and feel welcomed. In our community many of us in the LGBTQ+ community haven’t felt welcomed over the years and many of us have moved away over the years to more accepting places. We have to stop this!
“I am asking you all, please accept these kids. As someone who wasn’t comfortable being in their own skin as a high schooler, please realize the other circumstances. If students can have a ‘prayer locker’ at school then surely a painting of acceptance should be allowed as well. Love one another. Love those who are different than you.”
The protest at TVHS has resulted in a flurry of social media posts on both sides of the issue, as well as comments from some of the participants explaining their intentions.
Brenda Curry Davis Boothe, the mother of a TVHS student, posted Thursday morning that she was sending several youngsters “off to school with all these signs they made last night. They are going to be joining several other students at Tygarts Valley Middle/High School to lead a peaceful protest about the Gay mural (painting) that needs to come down!
“I could not be more proud of these girls and all the other students that are coming together to stand for what is right!,” Boothe wrote. “This is what happens when you take God out of schools…..When God is absent, evil prevails! … Say a prayer for these young warriors!”
Earlier in the week, Boothe wrote, “Some of the staff are pushing for this painting to stay up. This is just causing a great division in the school. This needs to stop! They need to quit pushing this agenda down our children’s throats!”
A TVHS student who took part in the protest posted, “There is mural on one of our walls at school that supports the LGBTQ + community. We do not feel that this mural represents all students as a whole. It is stifling other groups while only ONE group is being represented, heard/getting to have their opinions & personal views on our walls.
“Our pride symbol is a Bulldog, that should be the only symbol represented by our school. Our school colors should be the only colors that should be used on any mural that is in our school… We as a whole are The Bulldogs. We are there for education NOT to promote sexuality.”
Earlier in the week a TVHS student posted the petition to have the mural removed on Change.org, but later posted “the petition was taken down because someone contacted the company and it ‘violated guidelines.’ So I will have a paper petition.”
All Randolph County schools, including Tygart Valley High School, were closed Friday as part of the annual school schedule.
Calls to the Randolph County Board of Education on Friday were not returned by press time.