Neosho Junior High teacher resigns after district asks he remove pride flag from classroom
After he was asked to take down an LGBTQ+ pride flag from his classroom, John Wallis has resigned from his position as a teacher at Neosho Junior High School.
The 22-year-old, who was hired to teach speech, theatre, and world mythology detailed the situation on his personal Twitter.
He says that along with the flag, he also had two signs above his whiteboard that read “In This Classroom EVERYONE is Welcome”.
The 2017 Neosho graduate stated that he did this to “make my classroom more open and welcoming for all students.”
Wallis says he didn’t teach students about the flag itself but that it stood as a reflection of his class as a safe space for “my LGBTQIA+ students”.
Wallis goes on to say that a parent called to complain that he was going to “teach their child to be gay”. That’s when the district stepped in and told him to take the flag and signs down.
Wallis then says he was advised to sign a letter stating he would not discuss human sexuality or his own personal sexuality in the classroom.
In response, the school district released this formal statement:
“As per all personnel matters, there is a limited amount of information that is allowed to be shared by the school district.
In regards to inquiries regarding Mr. John Wallis, I can share that Mr. Wallis was hired on 8/13/21, and he submitted his resignation on September 1, 2021.
Should you wish to view any of our personnel policies, they can be found at https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/PolicyListing.aspx?S=332
Sincerely, Dr. Jim R. Cummins Superintendent”
Click here or scroll down below to see the entire thread on Twitter.
Now that everything is officially over, I can share some news;
I am no longer a teacher with Neosho…
1/
— John M. Wallis (He/Him) (@MrJWallis) September 5, 2021