The unrest in Ferguson has prompted a neighboring school to ban conversation on the events happening in the small St. Louis suburb.

Edwardsville Superintendent Ed Hightower said the school banned talks about Ferguson and Michael Brown due to safety concerns. 

From Mediate:

[…]Hightower explained that while they would normally be okay with teachers discussing current events with students, “this situation in Ferguson-Florissant has become a situation whereby there are so many facts that are unknown.”

And if students brought up Ferguson in class, teachers were instructed to change the subject. This directive reportedly came after parents complained about teachers sharing their opinions on Ferguson.

Well, naturally, banning a topic of conversation did not go over well, and Hightower had to walk it back a bit. He said that parents were concerned about student safety and he had no intent of censoring.

“We felt it was important to take the time to calm a potential situation at the high school and to prepare administrators and teachers to approach this critical issue in an objective, fact-based manner. Everyone has an opinion — the sharing of which can be polarizing. Far too many facts remain unknown, and without these facts, none of us is in the best position to moderate between opposing views.”

Read more at Mediate

Hightower said that teachers will have the opportunity to discuss issues regarding race relations and justice in the classroom. They just have to exercise caution in any engagement regarding Ferguson.

How does the school’s decision to ban conversations about Ferguson hurt students?

Does it make it more difficult to openly discuss race relations/police brutality?

Sound off below!