(The Center Square) – The Puyallup School District says a controversial student art project that depicted President Donald Trump as a pig, a KKK member and a clown with references to assassination, has been taken down from the classroom of an art teacher at Puyallup High School.
Undivided Podcaster Brandi Kruse received a photo of the art project from another student, who agreed to share the image with The Center Square.
The Puyallup School District communications department responded via email to questions about the art display.
“We are aware of concerns regarding student artwork displayed in a high school art classroom that included imagery that depicted the President in a demeaning manner,” the statement said. “We understand that some members of our community found the artwork offensive, and we take those concerns seriously. The artwork in question has been removed.”
The PSD statement went on to say when displays disparage individuals the district takes action to ensure learning environments remain respectful.
“Student expression, including the exploration of current events and political topics, is an important part of learning, particularly in courses like visual arts. We are addressing this situation in alignment with district policy and professional expectations,” read the PSD statement.
Senator Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, told The Center Square Monday that he thinks the art project was extremely controversial, but he also wants to know more about the assignment, and specifics from the teacher.
“Was this given with a leaning towards eliciting that type of artwork, or was it given in a neutral manner and the instructor chose to display the most controversial pieces of it, which I thought was very controversial,” Gildon said.
As previously reported by The Center Square, the Puyallup School District has been under scrutiny in recent months with district investigations into a trans student wrestler and a student who went missing with some help from the district.
In one case, Jodie Holman’s daughter Eleanor, who is 16, ran away and, according to Holman, the school district facilitated her daughter’s decision to sever guardianship, without her parents’ knowledge.
In a Feb 4 public hearing before Republican lawmakers, the distraught mother shared that the district included her and her husband in several meetings initially, where they were led to believe their concerns as parents were on the same page with the district.
“Meetings appeared cooperative. Communication seemed professional. The impact only became visible later, once consequences were already in motion and difficult to unwind,” Holman told lawmakers.
In the other incident, a Rogers High School sophomore reported an alleged assault to school officials and her wrestling coach two days after a December incident in which she was wrestling against a 190-pound transgender wrestler. She did not know he was a biological male at the time.
The district is investigating both of those cases and the more recent incident with the controversial anti-Trump art presentation.
Gildon said the recent negative stories cast a bad light on the district and the art project controversy. is in his opinion, not something a school district should be encouraging.
“I think that’s outside community standards,” he said. “Whether it’s President Trump, President Biden or Obama, I think we should be teaching students how to disagree and talk about politics without dehumanizing other people.”
Gildon said he is hoping the district and Puyallup School Board will come out with some statements or policy to restore public trust that has been damaged by recent headlines.
