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An Idaho teacher is in conflict with his school district after ordering staff to remove classroom signs that include those that read “Everyone is welcome here.”
Sarah Inama, a sixth grade history teacher at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Meridian, Idaho, says she will not adhere to the orders and argues that the message is a fundamental part of ensuring a positive learning environment for students.
Inama, who has taught in school for five years, says that his commitment to inclusivity is not about politics. It’s about her education and her passion for students.
“I love the area I teach,” she says in an interview with Today.com. “It’s really valuable for people to know our history of humanity, what humans have accomplished, how long they have done on this planet, what they have overcome, the patterns they have existed.”
Five years ago, when she first posted two signs, it was to make sure students knew they were in an open and welcoming space. Now she says she is putting her work in danger in the name of those values.
Notification from her school district to remove inclusion signs
Inama says the principal and vice principal came to the classroom in January to let her know that the two posters on the wall were controversial and needed to be removed. Inama says that other teachers received similar guidance, but she was caught off guard by the order.
The two poster photos show that they feature the phrase “everyone is welcome” that includes illustrations of hands with different skin tones. The other says that everyone in the classroom is “equal to” as “welcome, important, respected, encouraged, cherished and cherished.”
One of the signs is ordered to be defeated. (Etiquette of Sarah Inama)
“I was very confused,” she recalls. “I still can’t even wrap my head around what they’re referring to as to why it’s controversial.”
Inama says he cited the district’s policy that classrooms must respect the right to express different opinions.
“There are only two opinions on this sign. Everyone is welcome here, or everyone is welcome here. Everyone is welcome here. And I said, ‘It sounds like racism to me.”
Changes in the heart
Feeling pressure, Inama removed the signs, but was reconsidered as the decision put her in pressure the following weekend.
Sarah Inama in her classroom. (Etiquette of Sarah Inama)
“I told my husband, ‘I have to put that sign back,'” she recalls.
That Saturday she says her husband took her to school, where she hugged the sign again and sent an email to her principal to let him know.
“I wasn’t interested in defeating it,” she says. “I didn’t agree with the reason they were asking me to defeat it, so it was backed up.”
According to Inama, the principal warned her that denial could constitute disobedience and could take further action.
Today.com contacted the principal to comment on Inama’s allegations but did not receive a response.
District officials are seeking compromise
Meetings were soon arranged with district officials, including Westada School District Chief Academic Officer Marcus Myers and representatives from the Westada Education Association.
In an email to Today.com, West Ada School District said the meeting was arranged to “provide further clarification and support and discuss the ‘poster concerns’ and how it would violate Policy 401.20. The policy states that classroom banners should be “content neutral and encourage a positive learning environment.”
Today.com contacted Myers for comments on the district’s decision and his role in the discussion with Tanaka, but has not yet received a response.
Inama says she offered to purchase alternative signs for the classroom during the meeting, unless authorities had the same message as her current poster. Inama challenged the demands and pointed out that district policies classify motivational posters as learning aids and argued that they should be allowed under current rules.
Inama says the conversation escalated when Myers tried to justify her request to remove her poster, saying, “that the political environment may have declined and flowed, and that it may not have been a controversial three, six or nine months ago.”
The more the debate continues, the more certain Inama is that what the district was asking her is wrong.
“The more we talked about it, the more it just solidified,” she says. “It seems so bad that they are asking me to compromise, meaning there’s no way to convince me that the different views they’re trying to protect that sign are not racist.”
She says the meeting ended without resolution and another warning. This time, she says that if she fails to comply, more action may be required.
Legal counsel will be involved
After their meeting, Inama says that while the district offered to let the lawyers consider her position, she must submit an email explaining why she believed the poster would not violate the policy.
“I entered a big, long email and sent them about why it was important to keep this poster and why they didn’t think it was a violation,” explains Inama.
A week later, the district responded, claiming that the sign had violated the policy. Inama says she was told she had it until the end of the school year to delete it.
West Ada School District’s Director of Communications, Niki Scheppers, in a statement issued via email to Today.com, explains the district’s decision to implement that policy.
“The Westada School District has always been committed to promoting a welcoming and supportive learning environment for all students, while supporting district policies,” the statement said.
“Classrooms are a place where students learn to read, write, think critically and build the skills they need for future success. Classroom decoration can contribute to the atmosphere, but not through wall posters, but through meaningful relationships and positive interactions between staff and students, a truly welcoming and supportive environment is built. Our focus is to promote kindness, respect and academic achievement so that all students can thrive in a non-distracting learning environment.”
Approved classroom displays include Idaho flags, regular tables and educational materials such as the U.S. Constitution, student artwork, approved club information and school-sponsored results, according to the statement. Other permitted items include temporary displays of the World Flag for educational purposes, photographs of employees’ personal families, and promotional materials for university and professional sports teams.
“This policy is designed to be consistent across all classrooms, ensuring that no one is targeted or attacked by the display of a particular item.”
The district emphasized that its policy is aimed at ensuring fairness of classroom materials rather than limiting freedom of speech.
“We respect the individual’s right to express our perspective, but it is important to reaffirm that this situation is not about limiting speech or expression, but about ensuring consistency in the classroom and maintaining a learning environment that is free from distractions,” the statement said.
The district confirmed that the legal counsel must remove Inama’s poster and that she has decided to find an alternative that will comply with the policy until the end of the school year.
Fight for students regardless of cost
Despite the district’s ruling, Inama refuses to remove any signs, even if it means putting her work in danger.
Sarah Inama says her students have shown her support through a bracelet of friendship. (Etiquette of Sarah Inama)
“I like leaving students by the end of the year, and I think it’s financially difficult, but I feel like your job isn’t like your entire identity, just like your particular workplace,” she explains.
Inama says that what she is helping now is that she knows she is not alone in resistance. She says that since her story was released, hundreds of people, including teachers across the district, have reached out to expand their support.
“I think at least half of them come from other teachers in this district and in some other districts in Idaho and other states,” she says.
Inama, among other things, says she prioritizes students sitting in the classroom and supports what she believes is right.
This story first appeared on Today.com. More from today:
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