Trump flag spurs some outrage at East Rockaway's Sports Night

Several parents expressed divided opinions about a student who brought a “Trump 2024” banner to East Rockaway High School’s Sports Night on March 3 and posed for pictures with it alongside other students.

The incident, which happened in the small gym at the high school before Sports Night, has since been shared on social media and spurred plenty of debate.

On the district’s website, Superintendent Lisa Ruiz wrote that some people took the picture as a sign that the district was showing support for a political candidate. She wrote that it “couldn’t be further from the truth,” and that a board policy specifically prohibits school staff or students from “advertising or otherwise promoting on school property any commercial, political or non-school agency, individual or organization, except as approved by the Superintendent of Schools.”

“This banner was certainly not approved by me or the principal,” Richard Schaffer, Ruiz wrote, “nor was the principal aware that the banner was displayed and photographed until the event concluded.”

Ruiz wrote that the student who brought the banner has been spoken to and that staff members were reminded of the board’s policy. The students who posed were not identified.

Sports Night is annually held as a prelude to the district’s storied Rock Rivalry festivities, when grade levels compete in skits and various competitions.

Some residents who have objected to the banner said it had no place in schools, while others voiced support for students sharing their political opinions.

A resident named Lauren, who asked the Herald not to print her last name out of fear of backlash, wrote in an email that she graduated from the high school in 2006 and was disappointed that the flag was brought to an event that was supposed to “be fun and bring people together,” and that she was also displeased with parents “boasting” about the photos.

“This flag shows divisiveness,” she wrote. “Any political flag at a school event is wrong, whether it be Trump or Biden. It’s sickening that that was allowed, and innocent kids were used as propaganda.”

In a Facebook message to a Herald reporter, Ron Canner wrote that he was not happy about it, and that there are some discrepancies as to why the students were motivated to display the flag.

“This has me really upset,” he wrote. “. . . The parents of the four kids holding the Trump flag said they were ‘just having fun.’”

Jonathan Meneses wrote that he graduated from ERHS in 2007 and was “upset and appalled” by the photos. He noted that when he was a student at ERHS, Sports Night and Rock Rivalry were two of his favorite events, and he never thought of dragging politics into it.

“The school district should have stepped in to prevent individuals from displaying such items because as we all know, any sort of politics is divisive,” he wrote. “We as parents, administrators and community members need to ensure that a safe space and equitable environment is created for all students to thrive, no matter what their affiliations, race, creed, color or sexual orientation may be.”

He added that he believed district officials failed by not acting sooner.

Ronald Roeill wrote on Facebook that he didn’t believe that the flag display was an issue.

“Nothing happened on Sports Night but kids having a good time,” he wrote.

Susan Vagra Smith shared a similar sentiment. “The bottom line is you can’t have your own opinion or different view,” she wrote.

Dineen Ciluffo also didn’t see a big deal, writing, “Nothing happened, nothing to see, move on.”

Ruiz wrote in her letter that the incident soured an event that is typically a “wonderful tradition,” and added that many community members have fond memories of the outing from when they were students.

“We regret that this year’s event — as joyful as it was — was tarnished by this incident,” she wrote.  “Be assured that the district administration is taking appropriate steps to ensure that there will be no recurrence of this type at future district events.”