Whitehall-Coplay School Board held its committee meeting May 13, and the discussion surrounding flags displayed in classrooms continued into the fifth month.

Kindergarten parent Emmanuel Torres first approached the board Jan. 22, raising concerns about seeing an LGBTQIA+ flag hanging in his son’s kindergarten music class.

The board has gone back and forth about what to do. Whitehall-Coplay School District’s current policy is that teachers can use their judgment about what is appropriate to display in a classroom, and the district will monitor what’s being displayed and approach any issues case by case.

“My opinion is we get into this more as the students get older. There’s more discussion with students in fifth and sixth grade,” board Vice President George Makhoul said.

He feels a policy limiting what’s displayed strictly for grades kindergarten through third would make sense, as opposed to the entire district. Makhoul suggested that what’s displayed in those classrooms should align with the lower-grade curriculum.

“Curriculum is pretty rigid at those grade levels,” Makhoul said.

Board member Patty Gaugler posed a question: “Is it (LGBTQIA+) part of the curriculum in the higher grades?”

“You start talking about sexual education at that level, and there could be students who want to learn more about it. At the low level, there’s no way. They shouldn’t even be touching on those things,” Makhoul responded.

Board member Fady Salloum suggested the policy limiting flags cover grades K-5.

“I think this a little bit of an overreaction if you ask me,” board member George Williams said. “I think the buildings have done a great job policing it.”

The board agreed it will not be adjusting any language to the policy until they have the board’s solicitor review the issue.

The next committee meeting is set for June 10.