LUBBOCK, Texas — A series of pro-President Donald Trump parking spots in the Lubbock Cooper High School parking lot were vandalized some time before Monday.
A video taken by Elena R. showed paint splattered on the eight parking spots that spelled out “TRUMP 2020”
According to a statement by Lubbock-Cooper ISD Superintendent Keith Bryant, the district will seek to prosecute whoever vandalized the spots, which were part of a high school senior year tradition that has been going on for the past four years.
Bryant said the original, pro-Trump spots were approved, as political statements were allowed and they contained no “profanity, vulgar images or statements, or references to illegal activity.”
“The idea behind the parking lot painting project is to encourage students’ creativity and allow them another outlet to express their personality and thoughts,” he said. “Political statements have been a fairly common theme among parking lot spaces each year, without issue.”
The vandalized spots contained various phrases and other profanities, including “free the families,” “Save BLM,” in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement, and “#SaveOurChildren”.
WARNING: some of the graffiti in this video depicts vulgar language and imagery that some people would find obscene
Read the full statement by Keith Bryant 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.
