RUSSELLVILLE, Ark.— A family in Russellville says their six-year-old daughter was kicked out of daycare because of a T-shirt reading ‘Black Lives Matter.’
For the last six months, Journei Brockman has attended daycare at ‘His Kids Preschool’ in Russellville but was told Friday she was no longer welcome.
“She asked me Friday, ‘Can I go back?’ No, you can never go back,” explained Journei’s mom, Deval Brockman.
Brockman says it’s a tough message for a kindergartener to hear, but says an even harder one was the call she got last Thursday from her daughter’s school over the shirt.
“She was like ‘I don’t like it, I don’t agree with it’, and I would prefer it if you didn’t send her to school in it again,” Brockman recalled.
She says she reported the issue to the state and was told as long as there was no profanity on the shirt, she could continue wearing it.
“If I’m supporting something, I’m going to wear it, my child is going to wear it, to help say that our voice needs to be heard,” said Brockman.
Brockman says Journei went back to school Friday in another shirt with a raised fist printed on the back. When Deval picked her daughter up, she says she was told the shirts were encouraging racism and was no longer welcome at His Kids Preschool.
“I got very upset. I’m just like are you serious? Over a T-shirt?”
She says she was also met with harsh words from the school’s directors.
“He was like, ‘I am not going to tell you how to raise your child but you need to reevaluate how you’re parenting her,’” said Brockman.
The directors of ‘His Kids Preschool’ declined to interview instead sent the following statement:
Due to the threat of allegations and under the advisement of the council, His Kids Learning Center will only be releasing this written statement concerning The Brockman’s:
We feel a childcare environment is not a place for a parent’s political views to be addressed or played out, regardless of race.
His Kids Learning Center
Patricia Brown
Director
Brockman says she disagrees with their statement and the decision to not allow her daughter back.
“It’s not political, it’s everyday life, It’s all over the news. Right is right and wrong is wrong,” said Brockman.
Deval says she will continue to teach her daughter the importance of equality and says she hopes the school will start doing the same.
“If you’re going to a Christian led daycare, let’s abide by the bible then,” said Brockman.