Contrasting Accounts: Edmond Superintendent Grunewald, the American Flag, and Patriot Student Darrick Cargill

Let’s Start with the Letter to EPS families and staff from Superintendent Angela Grunewald:

August 30, 2024

EPS Families and Staff,

I am writing today to address the topic of flags that has placed our district in the news for the past week. As we have shared many times, our top priority is to provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff members. That includes working to limit any potential distractions from the learning that is occurring in thousands of Edmond classrooms all across the district. While our district and school administration have been working around the clock to keep a safe and focused learning environment for our students, I thought it would be helpful to provide some information to all of our families.

It is important for you to understand how we got here. Our current practice was developed in 2017 as a result of several incidents, including fights and other aggressive behavior, at our Edmond high schools where the American flag was being displayed improperly and grossly disrespected. In response to those incidents, the district gathered administrators and students from each high school to find a constructive way forward. Those conversations led to the practice of not allowing any flags in our school parking lots and stadiums thus reducing the disruptive and sometimes violent behavior and eliminating the possibility of the US flag being disrespected or used inappropriately. 

We have seen guidance from the State Department of Education that was released yesterday regarding requirements for Oklahoma districts when it comes to the flag and Pledge. These new guidelines include a requirement for districts “to establish a clear policy ensuring the U.S. flag can be flown and displayed on all school campuses without infringement. The policy should also promote the respectful presentation of the flag, ensuring it is treated with the honor it deserves.” The guidelines further require the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited in each school “at least once a week.”

While the district does not currently have a policy regarding flags, it is important to note that our current practice is largely in line with these new guidelines. We will begin working on a policy that can accomplish both safety and respect for the flag. That policy development process will include advice from organizations with a long, existing history of honoring the flag.

I want to be clear, Edmond Public Schools is proudly patriotic. We fly the American flag in front of each of our schools properly during each school day. There are American flags in each of our classrooms. Our students and staff members recite the Pledge every day. One of our strongest and proudest traditions is our JROTC program at Edmond North High School and we take great pride when our cadets present the colors at many of our events.

We also take pride in the tradition of our strong Edmond community coming together and supporting each other. This situation has arisen from a misunderstanding about the reason for our practice, but we believe it is also an opportunity for unity and constructive conversations. Those constructive conversations with the parties involved and community leaders have been under way and we look forward to continuing them in the days and weeks to come.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our Edmond students and staff members. In closing, I would like to take the liberty here to talk about hate and how we move toward treating each other with dignity. Hate is not healthy for our community and we have to commit to disagree better. I would ask that we seek to find good in others and move towards finding common ground. We are much stronger when we work together, treat each other with respect and dignity, and make a genuine effort to get along.

I hope everyone has a safe and restful Labor Day weekend.

Dr. Angela Grunewald
Superintendent
Edmond Public Schools

Sounds reasonable, but is it the truth?

In an interview with ROPE, Reclaim Oklahoma Parent Empowerment, Darrick and Sutton Cargill are interviewed with a rather different memory of why the American flag was not welcome in Edmond North unless instituted by the administration.

In this interview, Darrick Cargill expresses a very different account of events than Superintendent Angela Grunewald. Darrick states that his friend was called into the Edmond North School office “and told that his flag was offensive to some people and he was not going to be able to fly it past Monday.”

According to Darrick, when he was pulled into the office, there was no mention of a safety issue. Darrick continues by saying, “I think they’re realizing that they messed up and they’re trying to pull back their words to change them to something different.”

EVEN WORSE! Students in Edmond North proposed a USA Day, but apparently the principal “nixed the idea entirely altogether” because “it would cause controversy” despite other Edmond schools conducting a USA Day without issue.

This begs a few serious questions:

1. What does this young man have to gain by lying? Knowing the culture that surrounds the educrat class today, this student may very well be judged more harshly in an academic sense by his teachers, due to his efforts to expose their woke culture, and with consideration of Edmond in general, shunned by some of his classmates for not falling in line with their world view.
   
2. On the other side of the coin, what does Edmond North administrators gain by lying? Does anyone actually believe Superintendent Angela Grunewald could have not responded to this issue that has taken center stage in our state and to some degree the country? Hard to imagine that would be the case. Considering something had to be said, does anyone believe she would still have a job today, if she told the truth if the truth was that these students were told the flag was offensive? Likely not.
   
3. Furthermore, is there any PROOF that flying the American flag is a safety issue? Is there any history of violence caused by the presence of the American flag at the Edmond North school?
   
4. Also, if there was such a grave concern, why were the other two high schools conducting USA Days without issue?
   
5. Finally, even if there were proof of the American Flag posing a safety issue in school, should a few undisciplined, anti-American students be allowed to bully patriot students and cowardly, un-American administrators into banning students’ display of appreciation for their country?

These questions must be answered, and it starts with Superintendent Grunewald. She must be held to account with regard to the veracity of her statements and proof that, even if they can disprove Darrick’s Sutton’s statements, what proof is there that flying the American flag is dangerous, so dangerous that such students cannot be corrected for their behavior by those responsible?

Unless we hold these bureaucrats accountable in general throughout our country, the indoctrination of our children into a culture of hate for America and our founding principles will destroy the minds and future for generations to come.