Tensions run high at TPS Board meeting as student is booed

TULSA, Okla. — Tensions ran high at TPS Board meeting when a student who spoke out in favor of LGBTQ inclusion and training was booed.

The meeting allowed for public comments, and six people took that opportunity.

They talked about their concerns over the need for LGBTQ inclusion and training in TPS, including the board members.

The room was full of people, but only the people in support of LGBTQ inclusion spoke.

FOX23 heard from people who said it is important to accept differences and how important that is to students.

One person spoke about how they had struggled with acceptance and had tried to commit suicide because of it.

Others said that no one can learn to grow or succeed if they don’t feel safe, welcome and comfortable in their environment.

One student who spoke about what they called hurtful comments on social media. As they were speaking, they were booed loudly.

The student was visibly shaken by that and ended up in tears. This caused the session to be momentarily halted.

Ana Barros is a TPS teacher who spoke at the meeting – she said how the student was treated was shocking.

“She’s struggling, she’s 12,13, she spent days writing that speech, she did her research, she spoke truth to power and we’re sitting in this room, saying that we want the best for our kids, we want results for our kids, and then when a kid actually writes an evidence based speech and does the thing and speaks truth, we boo them. Like out of anything that I thought would happen tonight, that’s not it,” said Barros.

One man spoke to FOX23 off camera and said he’d never seen anything like that booing at a board meeting before.

He said things got really out of hand.

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