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SPHS teacher criticized for content of protest sign
At the end of the South Putnam School Board’s regular meeting Wednesday, the polarization surrounding the nationwide protests against police brutality became palpable with one community member’s criticisms against a teacher.
Amy Clark, a parent with students at South Putnam, made a statement prior to the meeting’s adjournment about protest actions concerning Spanish teacher Brandon Kinnaird. Mainly, she was concerned about the content of a sign that Kinnaird allegedly created.
“This is the first time in 20 years that I am truly concerned, disappointed and saddened by what is beginning to bleed into our school system,” Clark began, saying she wanted to pose questions to the room about respect toward police.
Saying she had “absolutely no ill feelings” toward him, Clark alleged that Kinnaird attended a protest and held up a sign that said, “N.W.A. said it right in 1988. #FTP #BLM #DefundThePolice.” The sign, Clark said, referenced a 1988 song by hip-hop group N.W.A. called “F*** Tha Police.”
Clark read out part of the lyrics she described as “disturbing:” “But I’ma smoke ‘em now and not next time/Smoke any motherf***** that sweats me/ Or any a****** that threatens me/I’m a sniper with a hell of a scope/Takin’ out a cop or two, they can’t cope with me/ The mother******* villain that’s mad/With potential to get bad as f***/So I’ma turn it around/Put in my clip, yo, and this is the sound/Yeah, somethin’ like that/But it all depends on the size of the gat/Takin’ out a police would make my day/But a n**** like Ren don’t give a f*** to say/F*** the police/F*** the police/F*** the police/F*** the Police.”
“I want it to be noted that I strongly believe in our Constitution and the First Amendment,” she said after reading the lyrics. “But as we all know that we are free to say what we want, can we all agree that saying what we want is not always respectful, appropriate and very harmful?”
Clark compared the perceived disrespect in the lyrics to a student who might protest outside school property with a sign saying “F*** My Teachers” or “Defund The School.” She asked whether these actions would be considered a threat, and furthered the point to all police officers not being “bad” because of the actions of one.
“Can we all agree that there are bad teachers?” Clark asked. “Are there teachers that make terrible, immoral decisions when it comes to their students? Does that mean that all teachers are bad as well?
“I’m confident in saying that teachers have been disrespected and targeted over many years, yet it’s OK to for them to do the same to police officers?” she provided. “Does a wrong fix a wrong? Should the Golden Rule not apply?”
Clark said Kinnaird’s sign was “no more” than a threat to the school community. She believed it promoted hate and bullying, when the school system should do the opposite.
She acknowledged that Kinnaird may have been on his own time. However, she felt that teachers in general should be held to a higher standard.
“There are many employers that require that their employees are mindful of what they do outside of work and what they post on social media,” Clark said. “Do they only have to abide by those rules when they are disrespectful to groups chosen by society?
“If we changed this entire scenario to (Kinnaird) targeting homosexuals or Black people, would this teacher be reprimanded without question?”
Clark brought her argument back to a point that police would still respond to a student bringing a gun to school, even though he or she may be acting on the “same hatred” she believed Kinnaird was promoting.
“Will our community police officers protect Mr. Kinnaird, even though they know he hates them because of their uniform?” she asked. “The answer to that is ‘Yes, they will.’ They will protect and serve him, and all teachers, just like they’ve always done.
“Did Mr. Kinnaird consider the feelings of his students whose parents are police officers?” Clark added. “If your child was being taught every day by a teacher who believes it’s OK to say “F your mother or father,” would you want your child to even be in that teacher’s presence? Do we not expect our teachers to be good role models for our students?”
Clark stated emphatically that children of police officers and their families are being targeted. Yet, they would still protect Kinnaird and “all the people that hate them.”
“Who is the good role model,” Clark posed in conclusion, “the teacher holding a sign with threatening profanity and promoting violence? Or the police officer who risks his life every day to protect our community that he loves and even the people who hate him?”
Following Clark’s statement, Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt said the corporation had been in contact with attorneys for the Indiana School Board Association. As such, he stated that the issue was under investigation and no further details could be shared.