Lincoln students ask Portland SD 1J to change poster and flag takedown process
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Summary
Students from Lincoln High School presented a policy drafted with two board directors to require student involvement and educational discourse when posters or flags are taken down, saying Palestinian flags were disproportionately removed; the committee agreed to send the draft for legal review and reconvene with student representatives.
Students from Lincoln High School presented a proposed policy to the Portland SD 1J Policy Committee aimed at changing how schools handle posted materials and flag displays, saying the current process has led to exclusion and uneven enforcement.
Hannah, president of Students for Peace at Lincoln High School, told the committee that after October 7 she saw "Palestinian flags be taken down" while other symbols such as "abortion as health care, black lives matter, pride flags" remained. She said the group formed Students for Peace to make sure "all voices are represented" and proposed allowing student involvement in takedown decisions so those actions become opportunities for education rather than exclusion.
Student Benjamin Switzer described the mechanics behind the proposal. He said researchers and teachers at Lincoln found many posters on school walls lacked the official Portland Public Schools stamp required by the existing process, which the students argued made the process burdensome and unevenly enforced. The students proposed keeping an application process for posting while prioritizing a clear takedown-and-contest pathway that invites students and teachers to engage in dialogue about disputed content.
Committee members asked procedural and legal questions. Sharon Tonkre, chief legal officer, cautioned that the draft raises First Amendment concerns and other legal guardrails; she offered to work with staff and students on adjustments. Committee members agreed the draft should go through a legal review and that staff should work with the students and Directors Wong and Sullivan before the proposal returns to committee or is brought to the full board.
The committee did not adopt the draft policy at the meeting; members directed staff and legal counsel to review the students' language, gather any needed clarification, and reconvene with the student authors and sponsoring directors for further iteration.
What happens next: staff and legal counsel will review the proposed language and meet with the student authors and sponsoring directors; the committee expects to receive a revised draft or legal guidance before any referral to the full board.