Red-state AG crushes woke 'welcome' signs, upholds ban on political propaganda in schools

The Republican attorney general of Idaho has taken aim at supposedly inclusive "welcome" signs in public school classrooms, saying they violate a new law banning political displays.

"All are welcome."

"Everyone is welcome."

'All Are Welcome Here' signs were printed in multiple languages and, in the words of the outlet, for 'all gender identities.'

Signs and banners promoting these left-coded messages became commonplace across America shortly after President Donald Trump's first election victory in 2016. In fact, a handful of liberal women in Twin Cities, Minnesota, claimed in 2017 to have started the "All Are Welcome Here" movement after someone tagged a local high school with racist graffiti following Trump's election.

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The comments the women gave to KARE 11 are filled with woke, inane buzzwords:

• "We are helping people remind themselves of that call to positivity and that call to inclusivity every time they drive out of their driveway or they wear the button."
• "The message of inclusivity was big for me, having a child of my own. It is such a small thing, but it's impactful, because children see it, gets people thinking or talking and having conversations they might not otherwise have."
• "It’s easy to say that, but to be able to pull apart what that means, and that might mean things about me have to change in order for you to feel welcome — that is the important piece, to ask ourselves how to seek to understand difference instead of being afraid. This is the surface, and it doesn’t mean anything unless we are living it every single day, so we can really figure out what equity means."

One woman, identified as a school principal, claimed she made sure "All Are Welcome Here" signs were printed in multiple languages and, in the words of the outlet, for "all gender identities."

A student was later identified as the culprit behind the racist graffiti and disciplined by the school, but his or her identity and possible motives were not reported.

Aware of their origins, Attorney General Raul Labrador (R) nixed those signs in all public schools in Idaho, determining that they run afoul of HB 41, which prohibits politically charged banners and flags, especially those related to "a political party, race, sexual orientation, gender, or a political ideology."

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Labrador's ruling, issued in late May, as well as guidance about the law from the Idaho Department of Education, issued last week, came largely in response to Sarah Inama, a sixth-grade teacher in West Ada who had displayed in her classroom an "everyone is welcome here" sign featuring kids' hands of various skin tones.

Inama initially took down the sign in February, but soon afterward restored it.

"I was told that 'everyone is welcome here' is not something that everybody believes. So that's what makes it a personal opinion," she said back in March after backlash prompted the West Ada School District to clarify what would and would not be permitted.

'Let’s keep political agendas out of the classroom and return to teaching reading, writing, and math — and leave parenting to the parents.'

In his opinion, Labrador cited the West Ada case specifically, claiming Inama's signs "are part of an ideological/social movement which started in Twin Cities, Minnesota, following the 2016 election of Donald Trump."

He also noted that the Idaho Democratic Party has embraced the "everyone is welcome here" sign "as a political statement" and has since begun selling merchandise with the same words and graphic on it.

Communications director Avery Roberts shot back that the party isn't selling the merchandise to raise money but to stand in solidarity with Inama against "discrimination."

"We’re not doing this to make money. The signs and stickers barely cover costs. What matters is the message. Taking a stand against discrimination shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and we hope leaders in every party see it that way," Roberts said in a statement to the New York Post.

Inama seems to take a similar view, insisting to Idaho Education News that "this message is not political." However, she went on to say that the Minnesota women "made these signs to combat racism," perhaps accidentally letting the truth slip that "welcome" signs are often related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In fact, Idaho Education News indicated that Inama embraces "messages of inclusion." While the outlet suggested that "inclusive sayings" and messages are apolitical, in this day and age, they always point toward DEI, a decidedly left-leaning ethos.

After he retook office in January, Trump almost immediately banned all federal DEI initiatives, characterizing them in his executive order as forms of "illegal and immoral discrimination."

Labrador certainly considers the supposedly benign "welcome" messages as political, claiming they are "no different than a 'Make America Great Again' sign." For that reason, he says they have no business in public school classrooms.

"Idaho welcomes every child and always should. But parents and the public know the difference between education and political indoctrination," he posted to X on Tuesday.

"Let’s keep political agendas out of the classroom and return to teaching reading, writing, and math — and leave parenting to the parents."

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