Signs are going up, tee-shirt orders are off the charts, and people are mad at Boise, Idaho's West Ada school district, declaring that not everyone was welcome there.
A local Boise shop asked to supply shirts has seen an amazing response:
"We're busy on a normal basis," said shop owner Shawn Wright about the sheer number of orders. "But we're never this busy. This is a whole another level."
Wright's team has spent long hours applying designs, folding, boxing and shipping hundreds of shirts and sweatshirts bearing the message "Everyone Is Welcome Here" with hands of various skin tones.
The idea to make these shirts came from Wright's friend Chris Stewart, who saw Inama's story and wanted to make her message mobile. That message, which Inama believes the poster represents, is not a personal opinion but a fundamental principle of public education.
"Chris called me," Wright said. "It was like, 'Hey man, you know why I'm calling' and I'm like, 'What do you need, how can I help?'"
Wright shared the Inama's story with his staff, many of whom are parents with children in the West Ada School District.
"Within five minutes, I had a bunch of moms in tears going, 'Whatever we gotta do,'" Wright said.
KTVB7
Administrators in Boise's West Ada school district determined that uplifting posters declaring all students welcome to express a matter of opinion, not fact and used this weak justification to demand the signs be removed. Lewis and Clark Middle school teacher Sarah Inama has rejected their orders to take them down, and her story has gone viral. People are buying tee shirts and putting up signs in support nationwide. Idaho, however, gonna Idaho.
Previously:
• Idaho school district rejects 'Everyone is Welcome Here' signs
