A school has sparked mass outrage for banning Pride flags because they are a "political statement".
The flag was banned by the principal of Pendleton Heights High School in Indiana, who said that it was distracting pupils from their schoolwork, Indy100 reports.
Principal Connie Rickert said: "Teachers are legally obligated to maintain viewpoint neutrality during their official duties to ensure all students can focus on learning and we can maintain educational activities and school operations. Our counselors are trained to respond to any student who desires support."
The president of the board of trustees for the local district compared the pride flag to that of white supremacy.
In an email, he wrote: "The issue with displaying the flag in a school is a double-edged sword.
"If an LGBTQ+ flag is allowed to be displayed, then any other group would have the same ability. That could include such flags as supporting white supremacy, which is in direct conflict with LGBTQ+. I hope we can model equality and support through our actions."
However, this comparison has been slammed by a student who told The Indianapolis Star: "One is about inclusiveness and the other is about hate."
The decision to ban the flag has prompted widespread backlash from social media users who were left in disbelief over the decision.
One Twitter user wrote: "Meanwhile, my school has just purchased several flags representing many different queer orientations and identities. We are also planning Pride! Supporting queer people is not a political statement."
A second added: "The pride flag is not political, Well unless ur homophobic then you would think its a lefty thing to want people to live how they want [sic]."
A third wrote: "Adults behaving like grade-schoolers. Pride flags are about love, not politics."
Meanwhile, a fourth simply wrote: "People existing isn't political."
Student Bryce Axel-Adams started a petition to have the pride flag reversed, Indy100 reports, which has garnered more than 4,000 signatures at the time of writing.
He wrote: "Having a pride flag is one of the clearest ways to say, 'I support you, and I'm here for you. You are loved'.
"That is so important for LGBTQ+ youth, we have always been told that teachers will always be there for us, and being able to easily identify teachers we can safely go to is extremely important to our mental health."