Nagel students arriving to the open house tonight were stunned to discover that the student-painted inclusive mural celebrating the diverse authenticity that our students represent has been hidden behind a black tarp with the simple words, “Honest Connections”. Several parents received shocked texts like the one shown here as students learned of the change.
In June of 2022, a reliable source suggested that the new board members stated their intentions to pass the Culture of Kindness resolution and use that as a basis to remove the student-created mural from the view of Nagel students and staff. The resolution, passed by the Republican-endorsed school board members Bibb, Jonas, and Hausfeld resulted in an on-going legal battle and depositions of several board members and Superintendent Hook (Depositions can be found here for Jonas, Rasmussen, and Hook) and a former student writing a scathing Op-Ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Rules suggest the board needs to take an open vote to remove the mural, but in the absence of this, a principal may make the decision under the category of “routine maintenance” with the support of the Superintendent and board. Advocate FHSD has submitted a public records request to understand the source of the decision and determine if any link to the Culture of Kindness effort exists.
Students leaving the Open House were informally asked about their feelings on the change, and several stated they were disappointed, and one stated “it felt like a shock, like that it’s not okay to celebrate who we are here. Why would they hide something that lets people feel its okay to be themselves here?”
From a timing perspective, wherever this decision came from, it is incredibly poor; in relation to the start of school and open houses & the shock that students would feel, not to mention the potential impact on active campaigns for open board seats. Could this decision possibly drive voter enthusiasm & stronger voter turnout for candidates running on a platform of inclusivity for all students?
If the members of the administration were responsible, this is a significant misstep with regard to the community relationship, and we’ve heard from a number of teachers that no communication to staff was initiated, either. With a board meeting scheduled for August 16th, why not announce the intent to change, or take a vote by the board to ensure transparency and protect the community from speculation and overreaction and allow parents to prepare students for the change?
Banners similar to the one shown are placed in all stairwells which indicates some consistency, and other murals not originally targeted by the “4 for Forest Hills” that drove less controversy are still visible. Some may appreciate that the decision to hide the mural with a large printed banner suggests they had time to order the sign in advance, why not take that time to communicate the intent in advance at the upcoming board meeting and to staff as well?
We will continue to update the blog as more information becomes available, and evidence of the origins of the decision are provided.
As a side note, Advocate FHSD will be creating & donating 1000 free stickers of the mural in honor of the student art and making the stickers available for students to add to binders, water bottles, notebooks and lunch containers should they want one to remind themselves and others that in this community, no matter your race, gender, religion or sexual orientation there are more people that celebrate our community’s diversity than those that do not. Please stay tuned, we’ll be digging in to see where the origin of the decision lies, and why no communication of the change was provided to the community in advance.
