Highline SD disciplines students after clash of political messages on ‘spirit rock'

Editor's Note: Friday's version of this story had reported that two students were brother and sister. They are unrelated and the story has been updated. 

A ‘spirit rock’ on the front lawn of Highline High School has for decades been a blank canvas for students to paint what they like. But this week, some students painted the word “Trump” and the American flag, which covered the previous paint job of rainbow colors celebrating gay pride.

The newly painted rock was then depicted on social media, with a caption “Fixed It.”

The incident has created a firestorm of heated exchanges, both online and in person, which students say merely exacerbate previous tensions over clashing political ideologies.

As a result, some students have been disciplined, some end-of-year activities canceled, and an assembly is planned on Monday to address the ongoing problems.

Jon Moormeier, whose son was involved in painting ‘Trump’ and the flag, said the back of the rock was painted in school colors.

He said his son wasn't the one to post it to social media with the caption “fixed it.” But when asked what he thought that meant, Moormeier said, “I think he meant to put the pride back in the rock. The school pride and pride for the country.”

Moormeier said his son is now banned from walking in Monday’s graduation.

Another female student was suspended. Her mother said she had written a tweet in the online firestorm that followed, saying ‘Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.’

The parents said their children and others involved have gotten death threats. They said they were frustrated school officials hadn’t similarly disciplined the students responsible for inappropriate behavior on the other side of the political spectrum.

While Highline Public Schools Spokesperson Catherine Carbone Rogers could not comment on student discipline, KIRO 7 learned from another student, Jahmara Coleman, that she too, was sent home from school for disrupting an assembly on Thursday.

Coleman has been one of the more outspoken students, raising concerns with the administration that the rock painting sparked intimidation against gay students and students of color.

“This has been going on all year long,” said Coleman, who described this rock incident as the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Fellow students Kat Quach and Erendira Mercado said that Trump’s name is not necessarily the issue.

“It was that they took a picture, and they wrote “Fixed It” on social media,” Mercado said.

“I’ve been so angry lately that I’ve been physically shaking,” Quach said.

Rogers said students have a protected right to free speech and that up until now, anyone could have painted the rock as they pleased.

But when that speech creates a large disruption to the school day, she said that’s what would require discipline. Rogers said it depends less on the intent of the action and more on the effect of that behavior on the school community.

Cox Media Group