On September 14 the School Committee voted (6-0, Gagnon absent) that the Gorham Middle School (GMS) did not have to remove two posters from the 6th and 7th grade health classroom. Eric Lane, who has a daughter at GMS, had filed a formal complaint asking the school to remove posters that defined terms related to gender identity because they were in opposition to his Christian values. He also asserted that the school was ignoring the policy for addressing controversial issues.

Superintendent Heather Perry had denied the request. Following procedures outlined in the policy for a Citizen’s Challenge of Educational Materials (IJJ-RR), she then referred it to the Teaching and Learning Committee which concluded that the posters were factual visual support for vocabulary and inclusive of all views. After Perry accepted that decision, Lane appealed it to the School Committee (SC) where the decision would be final.

After discussion at the September meeting, the SC denied the appeal. Nicole Hudson stated that she believed the posters were neither controversial nor inappropriate and that to remove them would go against the district’s commitment to equality and inclusion. Stewart MacCallister thanked Lane for giving the SC the opportunity to look at both sides of the decision. He noted that removing the posters could violate Maine’s Human Rights Act.

School Committee Chair Anne Schools said that all procedures were followed by the parent and by school personnel. She added that she respected the decisions of professional educators and was not comfortable telling teachers what to put on their walls.

In voting to deny the appeal, Darryl Wright emphasized that the SC wants to do “what is best for all our students. Definitions on the wall help students develop skills to be critical thinkers. School should be a safe place for all students to learn how to evaluate ideas,” he said.