Stoughton school ‘appalled’ after pride flag burned

Students in Stoughton had a rough start to their day Wednesday morning, when they found out that their pride flag had been pulled down and burned.

The school just had its flag-raising ceremony on Monday.

The RCMP confirmed the flag was pulled down from its pole at the school and burned. The police service said it’s investigating the incident as one of mischief.

Grade 9 student Nikita Nahbexie is the head board member of the school’s gay-straight alliance. She said students were devastated to hear about the burned flag.

“It’s really just appalling. It’s disgusting, because we’re trying to get kids to feel safe and that they’re accepted at this school. And having this flag burned, it’s 10 steps backward,” Nahbexie said.

She and fellow GSA board member Jessica Baumgartner said they don’t know who damaged the flag.

“It was still up (Tuesday) afternoon. We are not aware of who saw it last. We just know that it was up, and when we got to school this morning … it was on the ground,” Nahbexie said.

She referenced a Grade 7 student who’s out and bisexual, and was quite devastated to hear the news.

“She was in tears and completely hurt, because she knows kids who are in the closet, and it’s painful to her to see her flag being burned,” the GSA head said. “That’s something she took pride in, and she wants other people to see.

“The whole school is just appalled.”

June is pride month.

Nahbexie said the flag-burning works against the intent of the school’s GSA, to “raise awareness, have everyone come in to support each other and let people know they’re safe.”