ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — The Francis Howell School Board's decision to remove Black history and Black literature electives from the high school curriculum has touched off a firestorm.
Many students, parents and community leaders call it a bad move.
"I think it's actually sickening," said Rion Fleming, a sophomore at Francis Howell North High School. "I think it's extremely ridiculous that we're taking away an elective course. An elective course that people are actually taking in order to better themselves and educate themselves."
"I think we're now going backward," said Heather Fleming, Rion's mother.
Despite a fiery demonstration and hearing from fuming parents Thursday night, the Francis Howell School Board voted five to two to drop the two Black-related electives from the curriculum at its three high schools.
A total of 100 students were enrolled in the classes.
About 17,000 boys and girls currently make up Francis Howell's entire student population.
Board members Randy Cook, President Adam Bertrand, Jane Puszkar, Mark Ponder and Randy Harmon voted to remove the electives. Janet Stiglich and Chad Lange vote to keep them.
"They didn't even share with us what it was about the curriculum that they had a problem with. Plus, they put it on the agenda at the last minute just before the meeting," said Michelle Walker, a parent in the district.
In a statement sent to 5 On Your Side, President Adam Bertrand said, "The board voted to rescind approval of the academic standard titled, 'Social Justice Standards: The Teaching Tolerance Anti-Bias Framework' as published by Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center."
Bertrand said he feels the national organization "calls parents involved in education a hate group" and that's why he voted to remove the electives.
He says, many on the "board signaled to the District they would be supportive of bringing these courses back after removal of this controversial standard."
"I believe that is just not true because they made that same promise with the resolution against racism and they dropped it. They never revisited it," said Heather Fleming, Rion Fleming's mother.
"We're not gonna back down. We're not going to allow them to continue to promote their anti-Black, anti-equity, anti-inclusion procedures. I also want to say that shows why it's very important for our parents to get out and vote in future school board and all elections," said Zebrina Looney, the President of the St. Charles County NAACP.