FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A controversy is brewing at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, after images on social media show flags that were placed on campus as a tribute to 9/11 first responders were pulled out and dumped in a trash can.
The school’s principal Denise Aloma sent Local 10 News a statement, explaining:
“On September 11th, a select group of students and parents installed blue and red striped flags to honor fallen police and firefighters. … The presence of the flags was intended for remembrance only, however, some students felt these flags were not appropriate. An important teaching moment is upon us and the students involved have had the opportunity to express their feelings. … In addition, each student has been invited to speak to our school’s diversity inclusion sensitivity committee to provide further understanding.”
The students who trashed the flags reportedly interpreted the flags as a statement of support for Blue Lives Matter, a countermovement spread in the wake of Black Lives Matter.
