The Forest Lake School Board voted late Thursday to revisit the district’s dress code in the fall after a proposal to remove the policy’s bans on specific symbols brought significant backlash from community members and students.
A proposed version of Policy No. 515 that was read in May would have followed Minnesota School Board Association model language and removed specific bans on symbols like swastikas, the KKK and the Confederate flag on clothing. Leading up to Thursday’s meeting, policy changes considered by the board had brought the district significant criticism as board members were split on removing the specific bans.
Community members filled the boardroom Thursday, overflowing into the lobby or sitting on the floor. Several people were asked to leave the meeting – one for speaking after the public comment period and another for carrying a sign that showed the symbols in question.
Forest Lake School Board Chairman Curt Rebelein, left, and Mayor Blake Roberts. (Courtesy of Rebelein and Roberts)
Chairman Curt Rebelein said Thursday he did not expect creating a policy in line with model language would be so contentious. Rebelein and Forest Lake Mayor Blake Roberts, who has publicly opposed removal of the specific bans, met with each other last week.
“One key topic that we agreed upon is that we should always avoid the extremes, and that we should not be an outlier among our peers,” Rebelein said. “Our current policy is an extreme outlier, and although I will support the notion that sometimes it’s good to be a trailblazer, any critical thinker quickly concludes that attempting to find offensive items is an exercise in futility.”
Superintendent Steve Massey told the board in May that the ban was implemented in 1997 after an African-American student was surrounded by a group of students after school and physically assaulted. The next day, a group of students wore white T-shirts to school to show their support of the racial assault.
Massey told that board at the time that it is important that the specific ban of the three symbols remain in Policy No. 515.
‘Counterproductive’
About 25 people spoke during the open-forum portion of the meeting, including former Mayor Mara Bain, who said she could not believe she had to attend the meeting.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” Bain said. “I kept telling myself, ‘This is going to die down. Someone is going to stand up and is going to say, ‘No, wait, this isn’t what we meant. This isn’t the path that we want to be on. This isn’t the path that we should be on here in 2025.’ And yet, here we are again. … I keep telling myself that no elected official is possibly going to vote to remove language that prohibits hate speech. This just isn’t something that elected officials who are in tune with their hearts and their community are going to do. And yet, here we are.”
Roberts also spoke during the open-forum portion of the meeting.
“I find it necessary to speak out against the potential removal of the language of the dress-code policy that takes out symbols of hate, genocide and lynching,” Roberts said. “The current policy has served Forest Lake well since it was put in place over 25 years ago. The idea, in 2025, that we are even considering taking those symbols out of this policy is absolutely sickening. How the potential change affects students is most important, but even consideration of this is absolutely counterproductive to everything we do to promote and celebrate Forest Lake. People and businesses do not want to live and do business in communities that are not welcoming and don’t discourage hate and racism.”
Bans remain into coming school year
Related Articles
Increased bear sightings in Forest Lake: What to know
Health care workers at Stillwater clinic gives notice of intent to strike
‘Had to do it’: St. Paul Park man to receive Carnegie Medal for fiery St. Paul rescue
Forest Lake mayor urges school board to keep dress-code restrictions
Music as meditation: Guitars for Vets provides outlet for MN vets
Following a motion by Rebelien, board members voted 6-1 that the policy be sent back to the district’s policy committee. The committee, which is expected to meet in September, will return to the board either with a recommendation to remove the specific bans or a more comprehensive list of objectionable items to be banned. Because the committee does not meet until the fall, specific bans on the Confederate flag, swastikas and KKK signs or symbols will remain in the policy in the coming school year, Rebelien said.
Rebelein, who has said he has read all 331 dress codes across Minnesota school districts, said there is one district in the state that has a list of prohibited items in its policy.
“And so there may be a good middle ground there, but it seems to me that the prerogative of the board and the community is that they want to keep these in here,” Rebelein said. “And if they want to keep these in here, I respect that, and I can support that, but we can’t just cherry-pick a couple of things off the top. I think we need to be clear with our intent.”
Mary Divine contributed to this report.
Leave a Reply