As Richland battles over buttons, Kennewick schools ban staff from wearing them
The Kennewick School Board last week voted to ban teachers and staff members from wearing buttons that are political in nature.
Under the new policy adopted unanimously, district employees “may not wear campaign buttons or other campaign materials advocating for or against a specific initiative, referendum, ballot measures, candidate, or political campaign during work hours.”
Superintendent Traci Pierce said the added language was consistent with current practice at Kennewick schools and provides clarity in district policies about which type of politicking is OK. The move does not appear to affect student speech.
The Washington Public Disclosure Commission’s guidance currently allows for teachers and other district employees to wear campaign buttons or similar items while on the job as long as the school district’s policy allows employees that right.
But not all school districts have such policies written down — and neither did Kennewick.
“I don’t see campaigning happening in our classrooms when it comes to political campaigns, so I think it would be good to just provide some clarity for staff when they ask and we say, well, look at PDC (Washington State Public Disclosure Commission) and PDC says consult your district policy,” she said.
PDC guidelines still allow teachers and staff the right to place window signs or bumper stickers on their privately owned vehicles, even if those cars are parked on school property during work hours.
They’re also still allowed to distribute campaign materials during non-work hours to employees in lunchrooms, break rooms or other areas used solely by staff.
Staff may also encourage one another to vote and can engage in political activities on their own time.
Pierce said building administrators will begin asking teachers who wear political buttons to take them off under the new policy.
“If somebody becomes defiant, or continues even after they’ve been told, that’s a policy violation — then we deal with that as any potential disciplinary situation because they’re not following policy even though it’s been brought to their attention... I don’t anticipate that would happen,” Pierce said.
There was little discussion between the board members leading up to the vote.
Richland schools
The decision from Kennewick comes as an embattled Richland School District grapples with how far teachers can go in voicing their support of or opposition to a potential school board recall.
One of the issues involves campaign buttons. Richland does not appear to have any policy on campaigning that restricts or limits teachers from wearing buttons in support of recalling school board members Kari Williams, Semi Bird and Audra Byrd.
The Richland teachers union’s president wanted more clarification on what they can and cannot do when it comes to the recall.
The superintendent had forwarded the Public Disclosure Commission guidelines and recommended teachers not wear buttons.
Byrd, the board’s vice chairwoman, urged that any staffers seen with recall buttons or petitions should be “immediately fired.” But a school official has told the Herald that no one has been fired for that issue.
Flag policy
Just last month, the Kennewick School Board shot down a controversial policy amendment that would have restricted how flags other than the U.S. flag could be displayed in classrooms.
It would have placed restrictions on the size, height, location and number of flags displayed on a “full-time basis” in classrooms.
Some lauded the policy, while others said it directly targeted teachers who prominently hang gay pride flags in their classroom.
The Richland School Board also has considered adopting a flag policy.
