School board member Grant Lightle's proposal to give Bentonville School District employees additional protection against discrimination has the appearance of headline chasing. Appearances might be deceiving.
To our knowledge, the school district hasn't been accused of discriminatory practices against the classes of people Lightle's proposal seeks to protect. His plan would change school district policy to extend protection to include sexual orientation, gender identity, marital and parental status, and veterans.
What’s the point?
A proposal to add sexual orientation and other characteristics to the nondiscrimination policies of the Bentonville School District fits Walmart Stores Inc.’s vision for making Northwest Arkansas an inclusive place.
Such protections in Arkansas have, however, certainly been in the headlines around the country, if not around the world. The Arkansas Legislature stirred up a ruckus in its recent lawmaking session with House Bill 1228, the so-called Religious Freedoms Restoration Act. It's chief proponent, Rep. Bob Ballinger, said the bill was designed to prevent encroachment on individuals' religious beliefs, but strong opposition arose from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Those critics said the bill was a license to discriminate because it allowed one person's religious beliefs to trump another person's right to be free of discriminatory practices in hiring and their interactions with businesses. Advocates descended on the Capitol in Little Rock to battle against the bill.
Cities such as Little Rock, Fayetteville and Eureka Springs have also grabbed headlines over the last year or so with municipal policy or law changes, and the attending controversies, granting protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Lightle's proposal has met with some resistance, largely organized by a group calling itself the American Family Association. Out of 18 people who addressed the board at a recent meeting, 15 spoke against Lightle's ideas for changing policy.
"This policy change would indicate approval and an endorsement of a lifestyle many people living in Bentonville don't believe in," said Duncan Campbell, a Fayetteville resident. He went on to say pursuit of the change would divide the city.
Conventional wisdom might suggest avoiding such a controversial measure without a specific incident driving a change. There's a lot in Bentonville these days that defy convention.
Lightle, one might find informative, works in the legal department at Walmart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer headquartered in Bentonville. This is the same Walmart that issued a statement saying House Bill 1228 "threatens to undermine the spirit of inclusion present throughout the state of Arkansas and does not reflect the values we proudly uphold."
Gretchen Bellamy, an attorney in charge of diversity and inclusion at Walmart, was one of the few who spoke to the school board in favor of Lightle's proposal.
"As a community we need to be inclusive of all differences whether they're under protected status or not," Bellamy said. "The world's largest company ... has become what it is because of diversity."
Walmart itself and through its surrogates has demonstrated it wants Northwest Arkansas to be a magnet for the employees it needs to recruit from all over the world. Given the black eye the state of Arkansas got in the debate over House Bill 1228, it would not be difficult to argue the company needs a victory in the name of diversity right in its back yard.
Naturally, what the school district does in its hiring should focus on effective education of students and avoid discrimination against characteristics that have nothing to do with an applicant's or employee's abilities.
If a policy is needed to make sure that happens, so be it.
Commentary on 04/25/2015