August 17, 2016
By Paul Joseph, Paragon News Director –
(“I’ll make a motion to approve…….vocational agricultural building.”)
And with that motion, a unanimous vote by the Elk City School Board of Education followed which removed the name of the local and beloved, former Elk City agricultural teacher, Larry Long, from a building where he taught.
The same board in May voted to name the high school’s ag building in honor of Long, an ag teacher for 49 years, mostly in Elk City.
Long wasn’t at the meeting, but rather in Oklahoma City where he was reportedly attending and speaking with the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus. Last week, members of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus called for more African Americans to be appointed to senior positions with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology.
It was there, on August 2, at the agency’s CareerTech meeting in Oklahoma City where Long allegedly gifted a white robe and a confederate flag to a black teacher during the event. An investigation followed.
Long’s actions didn’t make headlines at the time, but came to light later as statewide media outlets including the Associated Press picked up on the story – leading Long to issue an apology late last week.
Long described his actions as an attempt to make a joke with a colleague with whom he respected and admired. Long also said that he has apologized to the colleague personally, has apologized publicly and admitted that his conduct was highly inappropriate.
Discussion to rescind the name of the building as the Larry Long Agricultural Educational Building to, simply, the Ag Education Building was fairly immediate and a special board meeting was called for today, Wednesday, at noon.
Some 30 people packed into the tiny board room with the five school board members. Only three citizens were allowed to speak publically about the kind of man Long is, his ethics and his stature in the community and his legacy, though no one condoned his actions.
Thought early on to be a fiery meeting – one in which two police officers were found to be in attendance, one in plain clothes – a simple letter, read aloud, diffused any fireworks.
The humility that initiated the naming of the building in his honor was the same humility that asked that his name be withdrawn.
The meeting was adjourned immediately following the vote.
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