SCARBOROUGH — The superintendent of Scarborough Public Schools apologized Tuesday for a letter telling the staff to not display “controversial” phrases such as Black Lives Matter to communicate personal views just before the election.

In a separate letter to the community, Superintendent Sanford Prince said he was “deeply apologetic” if the inclusion of the phrase Black Lives Matter in the initial Election Day communication Monday made anyone feel less valued. He also reiterated a commitment to equity and diversity work.

“As I now reflect on the communication shared by our curriculum director to staff yesterday I understand the reference to the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ was offensive to people who read the memo,” Prince said. “Please know the inclusion of that phrase was not intended to be a statement to make any member of the community feel less valued in any way and we are deeply apologetic for that. We are collectively acknowledging here that we need to better educate and equip ourselves to have these conversations.”

Prince’s statement followed a protest Tuesday morning in which dozens of high school students gathered outside the town hall to voice frustration over the initial communication and push back on the labeling of the Black Lives Matter movement as something that is controversial. In Maine and around the country, Black Lives Matter has called for an end to systemic racism and police brutality. Many of the protests have been led by young people of color.

“Schools have never been a safe place for kids of color but it’s one thing experiencing and knowing it and another thing seeing a letter coming from your school district saying your lives don’t matter and your teachers are not allowed to say your lives matter,” said Michelle Shupp, a Latin teacher at Scarborough High School and adviser to the school’s civil rights club. “It was shocking.”

Shupp, who is Korean and Middle Eastern, said she experienced racism and was ostracized as a student herself, and was worried for her students Tuesday. She took the day off work and made herself available to students who were struggling emotionally.

“Action is significantly more important than any letter that can be put out,” Shupp said. “It does not matter how many diversity equity and inclusion conferences people attend if there is no change in the heart. Our students are people and their lives matter. They deserve to have their school say, ‘I see you. Your life matters.’ ”

At the protest earlier in the day, students wore masks and dressed in black. They held signs that read “It’s not political, it’s human decency!” and “If Black Lives Matter is controversial, so is 2+2=4.” They shouted “No justice, no peace!” and “Tell me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!”

“We’re out here today because Black Lives Matter is not a controversial statement and Black students and students of color are deeply hurt and upset by this statement their school has issued saying the fact their lives matter is controversial,” said Gracie Murnane, 17, a senior. “It’s absolutely not OK and we’re here to protest that.”

The initial letter sent to staff Monday by Director of Curriculum and Assessment Monique Culbertson was billed as an elections reminder and advised staff of the district’s controversial-issues policy. The letter said staff should, while on school grounds, not wear or display words or slogans that communicate a personal viewpoint, especially those that are considered controversial or have become politicized.

It listed as examples “Biden Harris: Our Best Days Still Lie Ahead”; “Trump Pence: Make America Great Again”; “Black Lives Matter”; “Battle for the Soul of a Nation”; and White Lives Matter.”

A second letter posted on the district’s website as a clarification said the policy in no way applies to issues related to student speech and the district “strongly believes that the discussion of political and social issues, including controversial ones, is a critical part of our students’ education.”

Culbertson did not respond to an email or a message left at her office Tuesday. Prince, in an interview, said the intent of the original letter was to offer clarity around the controversial-issues policy, which is something the district often addresses around election time.

“I think her intent was to try and communicate and she did it in a way that, upon reflection, it’s fair to say a second letter is in order to further clarify some of those points,” Prince said. “In no way did we want to make people feel uncomfortable.”

Asked if he thinks Black Lives Matter is controversial, Prince said it’s “subject to interpretation and some people would interpret it that way.” He said he believes it is something that should be discussed in schools, but also that teachers and staff should not be expressing personal opinions on things that may be deemed controversial or political.

“I think it’s important to hear student voices and listen to them,” Prince said. “Educators might want to just have a conversation with them on their questions about it or their concerns about it and go from there.”

In the third letter, posted to the district’s website late Tuesday morning, Prince said the district had previously communicated in September plans to address inequity and respond to a national conversation about systemic racism. As part of that effort, Prince said, the district would be re-examining policies related to harassment and discrimination, engaging in professional development related to diversity, equity and inclusion and conducting other equity-related work.

On Tuesday, he also recommended re-examining the controversial-issues policy, commissioning a full curriculum audit to be done by an outside organization, initiating a discussion with the school board about a formal resolution underscoring the district’s commitment to equity work, and identifying vehicles to gather broad community feedback.

Krystal Ash-Cuthbert, president of the Scarborough Education Association, said there has been strong reaction from teachers and staff to the initial letter.

“I would say there are members of our staff who feel very strongly that BLM is not a political issue, that it is a human rights issue,” Ash-Cuthbert said. “But I’ve also gotten emails from people who disagree with that. I think the majority feel Black Lives Matter is not a political issue but that’s not all encompassing.”

Ash-Cuthbert said the union agrees with the controversial-issues policy, but not the way it was interpreted by the district’s curriculum director. The policy, which dates to 2002 and was last updated in 2013, says discussion of a controversial issue may take place as part of the curriculum and for educational purposes, but educators can’t use the classroom to proselytize or promote a personal agenda.

In the past, Ash-Cuthbert said, teachers and staff have received reminders of the policy near elections but have never received a list of examples of what constitutes controversial topics. The policy also doesn’t spell out how that determination would be made.

“The association is not in disagreement with that policy,” Ash-Cuthbert said. “We think it is the avenue to discuss those hard things and help our kids grow. But we are not in favor of the memo. We think the curriculum director went too far in her interpretation of what are controversial issues.”

Students, meanwhile, said they were disappointed and angry that Black Lives Matter in particular was listed as a controversial issue and that the letter seemed to equate the movement for racial equity with the phrase “White Lives Matter.”

“They’re not equivalent at all,” Murnane said. “White Lives Matter is just a racist response to Black Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter in and of itself is not controversial, which is what we’re here to say.”

Max Bennett, another senior, said he was disappointed with the initial letter and thought the categorization of Black Lives Matter alongside White Lives Matter as a controversial topic was not appropriate.

“It’s outrageous that she would politicize student lives in this way,” said Bennett, 17. “I’m honestly really disappointed someone in the education field would perpetuate this narrative of white silence and white fragility.”

Lindsay Diminick, a parent of a 2nd-grade student in Scarborough, joined the students at the protest and said she was disappointed in the district’s response to what could have been a learning moment.

“I think they really are missing the point,” Diminick said. “I think if you are releasing a statement that includes the Black Lives Matter movement among political candidate ideology and white supremacy language like All Lives Matter, I think you’re sending a really negative message to our students of color and our white students. It’s towns with little diversity that ignore racism in all its forms and then perpetuate it. We need to do better.”

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