Denver Public Schools Taking More Precautions With Security Over Lesson Plan Protest
DENVER (CBS4) – Denver Public Schools is taking further precautions with their building entry policies this week after a man gained access to Centennial Elementary School on Monday to protest the school's curriculum. The district confirmed a man gained entry to the school on Monday afternoon after falsifying his reason for being there.
The man was buzzed into the front office but then caused a disruption once he explained why he was truly there.
"The staff vetted the person and it was for a legitimate reason that they wanted to come inside," said Scott Pribble, spokesman for DPS. "(His reasoning) changed quickly to some hate speech and other things that were against the Black Lives Matter movement which the school will be studying next week."
Pribble said the man was never in contact with children at the school and was not at a point in security where he could have accessed any of the classrooms. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was asked to leave the building. Pribble said the man did leave the building but then began to protest on the sidewalk outside of the school as parents arrived to pick up their children.
The man, who was holding a sign in opposition to critical race theory education, was said to be opposed to the district's upcoming week of educating children on the history of inclusion and diversity. Part of that week of education will include education on the Black Lives Matter movement.
"There is a national movement called 'Black Lives Matter at School,' where they provide curriculum and content that is age appropriate to study equality in schools for all people," Pribble said.
Jamie Chessar, a parent, said she was notified right away about the incident. Chessar said she was pleased with how the school and administration handled the incident.
"We have not had any concerns with safety here," Chessar said. "Directly after school let out that day we received an email from the administration letting us know what had happened. They are very transparent."
The district confirmed they have received many calls and emails from around the nation after some national media outlets reported about their intent to teach about BLM in elementary schools.
A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department said they were not dispatched to the school in response to the incident. However, the department said they were aware of the situation.
Chessar describes the school as welcoming and progressive, adding her family still supports the curriculum that is ahead.
"We as a family fully support Black Lives Matter, and we are happy that the school and district decided to support that movement," Chessar said.
