NEWS

Schools remove Confederate flag from grounds

Duke Behnke
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Appleton East principal Matt Mineau

Question: There was a report of a Confederate flag at Appleton East High School. Is that a common issue?

Answer: Matt Mineau, principal at Appleton East, said the school responded to a student flying a Confederate flag from the back of his truck on school property several weeks ago. He described it as an isolated incident.

"The student was asked to remove the flag because it was disrupting the learning environment," Mineau said. "He willingly did so."

Mineau said displaying a Confederate flag on school grounds isn't a common issue. "It occasionally happens," he said, "but we have the same conversation, and they willingly remove it, and we move forward."

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WATCHDOG Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your questions

Neenah High School also has dealt with the issue in the past.

Jim Strick

Jim Strick, communications manager for the Neenah Joint School District, said the most recent case occurred two years ago, when school administrators told a student he couldn't park on school grounds while flying a Confederate flag. "He refused to take it down," Strick said, "and so we refunded his parking permit and said he couldn't park in the parking lot."

Strick said principal Brian Wunderlich wasn't comfortable with what the flag represents.

"People can say it represents different things — some good, some bad — but he just felt like it was not a good representation," Strick said.

Champions of the flag assert that it is a symbol of Southern history and culture. Critics content it's a racist symbol that represents the fight to uphold slavery and the battle to oppose advances in civil rights.

Strick said he didn't know why the student felt compelled to fly the flag.

"A lot of times it's just a rebellion thing for students," Strick said. "Maybe they don't even fully understand what it stands for, but it's kind of got that rebel image. I think that's what they like about it."

About Watchdog Q&A

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@postcrescent.com or call 920-993-7176.