Last week, the Princeton ISD school board voted to uphold a decision canceling a district Pride event and banning the organization that was to host it. The vote was the result of a complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas over the canceled Pride event.
“It is shameful that the Princeton ISD chose to uphold its discriminatory decisions, especially during Pride month,” Charelle Lett, an attorney with ACLU of Texas, told the Observer. “The district has turned its back on the Constitution and its community.”
Reached for comment, all the district would say is that the organizers behind the event broke district policy, so the event was canceled.
The ACLU of Texas hoped the complaint would put the Pride event back on, but the district wasn’t having it. The event, to take place at Lovelady High School, was to be hosted by an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit called Color Splash Out. The ACLU of Texas says canceling the event violates free speech protections under the U.S. and Texas constitutions.
Color Splash Out is dedicated to providing safe spaces to enhance the self-esteem of LGBTQIA+ youth. The founder, CEO and executive director is Rev. Yadi Martínez-Reyna, an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ. The organization has been in communication with the district for the last few months to organize the event, which was to take place on June 29, the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.“It is shameful that the Princeton ISD chose to uphold its discriminatory decisions, especially during Pride month.” – Charelle Lett, ACLU Texas attorney
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The nonprofit followed district policies and submitted an application for the event and to rent district property. The application was approved and Color Splash Out paid to rent a facility.
Earlier this year, Color Splash Out realized that the organization that hosted last year’s Pride event, Princeton TX Diverse (PTX Diverse), had been recently banned from participating in district activities. According to the ACLU of Texas, PTX Diverse was penalized because it donated banned books during a local charity event. However, the ACLU of Texas says the district doesn’t have any officially banned books and that another vendor was allowed to distribute bibles at the same event.
Concerned with the lack of Pride events in Princeton, Color Splash Out decided to host its own event, the one originally planned for June 29. As Color Splash Out prepared for the event, it published its vendor application for other nonprofits, religious organizations, individuals and businesses to sign up to host booths there.
The application says anyone found in violation of vendor policies, local, state or federal law, or the vision and mission of Color Splash Out will be asked to leave immediately and will not be allowed at subsequent events. It also says vendors can’t display or sell any items that may be considered offensive, obscene or of an adult nature. “All conversations, displays, marketing collateral, and messaging must be PG-13 rated,” the application said.
However, even though these two entities are completely separate, the Color Splash Out vendor application makes mention of PTX Diverse, which was banned from hosting events on district property. It also says vendors may have adult/18+ items for sale but that they must be covered or hidden from plain view and labeled with an adult/18+ sign. These seem to be the main points of contention between Color Splash Out and the district.
The mention of PTX Diverse was a typo that happened because the organization copied a previous vendor application. Typo or not, the district sent Color Splash Out a letter on May 20 saying the Pride event was canceled and the group was banned from renting district property in the future.
The letter said it was against district policy for vendors to have and sell 18+ material. It also took issue with the organization’s perceived association with PTX Diverse.
“This solicitation or allowance of adult items is vulgar and obscene and not allowable,” the district letter said. “Moreover, the district has information that your contact information is not accurate and may reflect participation with individuals and organizations who are no longer in ‘good standing’ under the district’s facilities use policies, and may not rent facilities owned by Princeton ISD at this time.”
But, Color Splash Out says contact information for the group is up to date and accurate and that the mention of PTX Diverse in the application was just a typo. Instead of contacting the organization for clarification, the district just canceled the event and banned it.
As for the mention of 18+ materials, the group says this came from applications from previous years that they just copied over to theirs. The organization says it had no intention of letting vendors bring items onto district property that would be considered adult in nature. They point to the fact that the application also says all conversations, displays, marketing collateral and messaging must be PG-13.
In the ACLU complaint, the group offered to take the line about adult material out of the application, as well as any mention of PTX Diverse.
“Instead of contacting Color Splash Out to address any confusion, ambiguity or concerns about the vendor application, the district made an abrupt, arbitrary, and irrational decision that squelches the free speech rights of Rev. Martínez-Reyna and Color Splash Out,” the complaint said. “And because this unconstitutional decision threatens the free speech rights of every person connected to Princeton ISD, we ask you to promptly reverse it.”
On June 12, the Princeton ISD School Board voted 4–2 to uphold the decision canceling the Pride event and banning Color Splash Out. The ACLU says this fight is not over.
“We are still going through our options for next steps,” Lett said. “But, litigation is not off the table at this point.”
