From: kcbd.com
For the past four years at Lubbock-Cooper High School, students are allowed to decorate and paint their reserved parking spots before the school year begins. This year is no different.
One group of students purchased paint and decorated their connecting parking spots to spell out ’TRUMP 2020.′
Overnight their parking spaces were vandalized. Officials with Lubbock-Cooper High School say the district will seek to prosecute any individual responsible for destroying or defacing school property. There were at least 11 spots were vandalized. All of them had a Trump theme. At least one Trump-themed spot was not vandalized.
A parent of one of the students said, “My son and several of his friends spent over $750 painting their parking spots. They spent eight hours creating this. Their spaces have been completely vandalized and all boys have been threatened.”
Lubbock-Cooper Superintendent Keith Bryant said in a statement to KCBD that all parking space designs must be approved by administration before they’re painted. Political statements are not prohibited, but the designs must follow the dress code; which means the designs may not contain profanity, vulgar images or statements or references to illegal activity.
He also said political statements have been a fairly common theme among parking lot spaces each year, without issue. “The idea behind the parking lot painting project is to encourage students’ creativity and allow them another outlet to express their personality and thoughts.”
Sadie Alderson, Director of Public Information for Lubbock-Cooper ISD says the district is investigating the vandalism.
“We have students and staff with differing political beliefs; and we expect those beliefs to be respected and valued. As United States citizens, we have the freedom to disagree with one another, but it is completely unacceptable (and illegal) to vandalize property in disagreement. As a public school district, we have an obligation to protect not only our students, but their rights,” said Bryant in a statement.
Lubbock-Cooper ISD Superintendent Keith Bryant’s full statement below:
For four years, Lubbock-Cooper High School seniors have had the opportunity to paint their assigned parking spaces in the school parking lot in the weeks leading up to the beginning of their senior year of school. This is a common practice at high schools across the country. Students pay for this opportunity and provide their own supplies, no part of this is funded by the school district. Parking space designs must receive prior administrative approval. Administrative approval is based on the same guidelines which dictate the Lubbock-Cooper ISD student dress code (which can be found in the LCISD Student Handbook). In short, parking space designs may not contain profanity, vulgar images or statements, or references to illegal activity. Political views and statements are not prohibited in the LCISD student dress code, and are not prohibited parking space designs. The idea behind the parking lot painting project is to encourage students’ creativity and allow them another outlet to express their personality and thoughts. Political statements have been a fairly common theme among parking lot spaces each year, without issue.
We respect the rights of our students to have their own belief systems, and students are permitted to express their beliefs on their parking lot spaces. This year, the LCHS parking lot features multiple political statements, some of which are considered by many to be traditionally opposing stances.
We will not tolerate destruction or defacement of any Lubbock-Cooper ISD property, regardless of personal opinion. The district will seek to prosecute any individual responsible for destroying or defacing school property.
We have students and staff with differing political beliefs; and we expect those beliefs to be respected and valued. As United States citizens, we have the freedom to disagree with one another, but it is completely unacceptable (and illegal) to vandalize property in disagreement. As a public school district, we have an obligation to protect not only our students, but their rights.
Keith Bryant
Superintendent of Schools
Lubbock-Cooper ISD