PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — On Monday, April 21, all public schools in Calvert County received the same order: per the Board of Education (BOE), safe space stickers were to be removed from all school premises. Building service managers and their custodial staff were to enter rooms and remove any stickers they found before the last custodial shift on the following day, April 22. Staff complied, but not without shock and dismay.
Members of the Calvert Education Association (CEA) and Calvert Association of Educational Support Staff (CAESS) agreed to speak with The BayNet about this matter on the condition of anonymity for fear of backlash from the BOE. These members said that the removal of safe space stickers without formal policy or discussion was a breach of trust between the BOE and school staff and students.
At the April 10 BOE meeting, Board Member Melissa Goshorn described her experience at a conference held by the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Goshorn said that a member of the Beau Biden Foundation had told her about a Maryland principal who used safe space stickers to sexually exploit children. Goshorn asked that the stickers be removed while policy about their use was created. However, the Beau Biden Foundation later denied any knowledge of the alleged incident, and no public records confirm such a case.
CAESS and CEA leadership drafted a series of three joint letters in response. One was sent to Superintendent Dr. Andraé Townsel, one to the BOE at large, and one to the associations’ members. In each letter, the associations jointly decried the removal of the stickers. Members expressed concern that the removal of the stickers may raise questions related to First Amendment free speech protections and said the decision lacked adherence to established protocols. Some also described the implementation of the order as inconsistent. One staff member reported that a separate sticker reading “Be Kind,” which featured a rainbow design, was also removed. In spite of the demands of the BOE, CAESS and CEA leaders said that they would always speak up to support their members, the teachers and staff of CCPS.
Members said students had noticed the removal of signage that previously signaled a welcoming space, and had responded with visible concern. Particularly in middle and high schools, students initiated conversations with teachers and staff about the decision. “Removing the sticker doesn’t remove the welcoming environment behind it,” one member said.
Association officials don’t expect that the decision to remove safe space stickers will be reversed. This move by BOE comes on the heels of the word “inclusive” being deleted from the CCPS mission statement.
“This is an obvious attempt to push out LGBTQ identities from schools,” said Paul Quade, president of PFLAG Southern Maryland, an organization that provides support, education and advocacy for LGBTQ people in Southern Maryland. Quade is also a teacher in St. Mary’s County.
“A safe space is somewhere that people can identify allies,” he said. “It prevents discrimination and bullying when students know which staff they can trust. Students without that support experience more bullying and harassment, have worse mental health and have more frequent suicidal ideation.”
Safe spaces began as designated areas where LGBTQ students or workers could talk to others who understood their identities and experiences, without the need for defensive explanation. The idea has since expanded to include people from other marginalized backgrounds, including race and religion. These spaces are usually marked, though not always.
CEA and CAESS members described safe spaces in their schools similarly—as places where staff or students could talk without fear of being judged or targeted because of their race, gender, sexual identity, or religious beliefs. In Calvert schools, these were not necessarily counseling spaces, but areas where people could feel a basic level of safety and support.
One staff member claimed they were told by BOE President Jana Smith-Post that minority groups weren’t mentioned.
“If the board had done their research, they’d know that safe space stickers are rooted in LGBTQ history. At best, they didn’t do their homework. At worst, this is discriminating against LGBTQ students and the teachers who create safe spaces for them,” Quade said.
Quade said that the Beau Biden Foundation later denied any knowledge of the account of child abuse Goshorn shared at the April 10 meeting. He also noted that the NSBA conference included panels and exhibits that emphasized how equity and inclusion correlate with student well-being and academic outcomes.
Despite his concerns with the BOE decision, Quade said PFLAG continues to have a strong relationship with Calvert County school staff and students.
“With school-based staff, it’s been great. We’ve been at the Mental Health Fair for the last three years. It’s always a positive experience and people come up and say they’re grateful we’re there,” Quade said. “The staff we’ve interacted with have been very supportive.”
“We have been in touch with staff members and provided safe space stickers, buttons that say ‘I am a safe person,’ safe space door hangers and pride lanyards,” Quade said. “We want to see leadership move on this issue before school staff have to bear the burden.”
According to Quade, PFLAG started receiving requests from local teachers for safe space stickers in 2023. Since then, PFLAG has provided the stickers free of charge to local businesses, health care offices and churches as well.
At the May 8 BOE meeting, most public speakers opposed the sticker removal. Only a few spoke in favor of the board’s action. Quade said PFLAG had coordinated with CEA and CAESS to encourage teachers, staff and community members to speak at the meeting, though any students who attended did so on their own. He estimated that roughly half of the public comments came from representatives of PFLAG, CEA and CAESS.
The meeting concluded with BOE member Paul Harrison motioning to draft a flag policy, and Joseph Marchio motioning to draft a neutrality policy. Quade said he is concerned that these policies, depending on their implementation, could be used to further limit inclusive efforts in schools.
“I am a teacher. I create safe spaces. I have a safe space sticker on my door,” Quade said. “I’m not in Calvert County, but still. I’ve seen how it allows students to identify me as someone that they can come to for help. I will say not everyone is prepared for every conversation, and that’s OK. I’m also a suicide survivor. I attempted suicide back in high school. I think if I’d had these stickers or a safe space, they would have helped me.”
When asked if there was anything that he’d like to say to the community, Quade had two suggestions.
“First thing: get educated. We have a lot of great resources at pflagsomd.org/resources,” Quade said. “We have a section on religion and how to reconcile being LGBTQ with your faith or explaining it to another person. We have several publications from PFLAG National. We have resources like Safe Schools for All available for download. We have links to the GLSEN curriculum and lesson plans. We have the HRC’s — that’s Human Rights Campaign — Welcoming Schools program. We also have literary resources, since there were contentions about book selection a few years ago.”
“Second is getting involved,” he said. “Sign up for PFLAG support meetings so that you can get support and be the support in your community. Go to a board or commissioner meeting and advocate. You can also be the leader in your friend group and speak up when you see this kind of bigotry. I hate to say it, but the rhetoric is winning. We need to stop it.”
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