Between 8 and 8:20 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, several teachers and staff members gathered at Washington Park to protest the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) decision to fly the American flag at half-staff in honor of Charlie Kirk. Participants held signs reading “No Honors for Bigotry & Hate” and distributed flyers explaining their intention and citing statements Kirk made in the past.
“I want students to see their teachers as models of the value of civil disobedience,” English teacher and leadership advisor Bethany Li said. “That if you see something that you feel is out of bounds with your values, that you should speak up and say so and not be afraid to speak truth to power.”
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who co-founded student organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Wednesday, Sept. 10, during an event for Turning Point USA’s “Prove Me Wrong” tour at Utah Valley University. President Donald Trump, who praised Kirk and credited him with mobilizing young conservative voters, issued a presidential proclamation on Sept. 10, ordering U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff at all federal, public buildings and grounds, until sunset on Sunday, Sept. 14.
In an email to districtwide educators on Thursday, Sept. 11, SMUHSD Superintendent Randall Booker said the district will follow Trump’s presidential proclamation and fly all U.S. flags at half-staff for the time requested. In a follow-up email on Friday, Sept. 12, Booker said the San Mateo County Office of Education directed the district to comply with the proclamation. He cited Board Policy 6115, which allows the flag to be flown at half-staff “by order of the President and in accordance with presidential instructions or orders.”
After staff received Booker’s initial email, biology teacher Michael Dunn said many were upset that the school’s half-staff flag would be used to honor Kirk and his beliefs.
“A lot of teachers were very upset that we would have a flag at half-staff to honor a person who promoted ideas like school shootings as necessary and worthwhile in order to protect the Second Amendment,” Dunn said. “It seemed the epitome of hypocrisy that as educators in schools… we would honor a man who promotes such ideas.”
History teacher Matthew McDermott referenced a conversation with one of his students, noting the flag is lowered for Kirk despite Kirk not being a public official.
“One of my students brought up to me the fact that Charlie Kirk is not a public official, has never been elected to office, has never served in a broad public interest. He was not a school teacher… he was not a public servant, which is usually who we honor,” McDermott said.
For McDermott, flying the flag at half-staff is usually meant to “bring the country together.” He said honoring Kirk while not recognizing the other shooting victims, including former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, is “divisive” and does not call “for the end of violence.”
“What is it about him that unites us?” McDermott said. “We unite in the fact that people should not die, right? But what about the other deaths?”
