Harwood Union administrators and district superintendent Dr. Mike Leichliter report that shortly before midnight on June 8, two unidentified individuals lowered the United States and Pride flags from the flagpole at Harwood Union High School. The pair raised the U.S. flag again and stole the pride flag.
"June is Pride Month and dedicated to the celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride. Since 2022 Harwood students have shown overwhelming support in asking the HUUSD Board to raise the Pride flag at Harwood to support our LGBTQ+ students as well as in commemoration of the larger LGBTQ+ community. It is disappointing to know that individuals in our community would display an openly hostile attitude and disrespect the voice of our student body. These actions are unacceptable and do not represent the values and character of our schools,” Leichliter said, in a joint email with co-principals Laurie Greenberg and Meg McDonough.
"We ask that anyone with information leading to the identification of the two individuals responsible for this theft reach out to the Harwood administration,” he added and said that the school is securing a replacement flag and will once again raise it throughout the month of June as approved by the HUUSD Board.
Leichliter said that the theft had also been reported to Vermont State Police and that a police report would be forthcoming. In May, the Waterbury Roundabout reported that the Harwood Unified Union School District Board approved a request from the Harwood High School Gender and Sexuality Alliance club to fly the LGBTQIA+ community pride flag starting May 17 through the end of June.
"The district flag policy asks applicants to conduct a school survey regarding a request. This year’s survey had 250 responses with 62% in favor and 38% opposed to flying the pride flag. In 2023, the survey garnered 297 responses with 78% in favor and 22% opposed. Board member Life LeGeros, who is on the board’s Equity Committee, called the change “a very troubling trend” that others agreed was concerning and supported efforts for more education around the subject,” the Roundabout reported.
