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Angry Parents Suing California Schools Over Mandatory Gay-Friendly Classes
A lawsuit in California that was filed last month by angry parents who object to a gay-friendly curriculum they say is being foisted on kindergartners could well become a test case for schools around the country.
Parents in the Alameda Unified School District were refused the right to excuse their kids from classes that would teach all kids in the district's elementary schools about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender alternative families.
The parents say they are concerned about "indoctrination" in the schools, but administrators say the course is needed to protect against sexual discrimination — and that the lessons are protected by laws in California and 10 other states.
Those states, which stretch from Washington to Maine, will now be eyeing the court results in California in a case that warring sides say pits parents' rights against a schools' responsibilities.
To learn more about controversial teachings in school tune in to a FOX News Reporting special, "Do You Know What Textbooks Your Children Are Really Reading?" which premieres Friday, Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. EDT. Click here for a preview.
The contested California curriculum includes an annual 45-minute LGBT lesson taught to kids from kindergarten through the fifth grade. The kindergartners will focus on the harms of teasing, while the fifth graders will study sexual orientation stereotypes.
The move toward the new classes began two years ago, when teachers noticed that even kindergarten students were using derogatory words about sexuality, such as "fag."
FULL COVERAGE: Textbook Bias
The FOX News Reporting unit was present at a debate in the school district in May when angry parents pushed back against the controversial lessons, capturing over 10 hours of heated dispute, which saw parents shouting back and forth across the aisle.
• Click here to see video from the debate.
Some parents like Carrie Brash said the curriculum is necessary to combat bigotry that was already rearing its head among even young children, who were bullying her daughter in school.
Brash said her daughter had to endure taunting chants of "Lesbian, lesbian, your mom's a lesbian," from kids in school.
But other parents said the new curriculum ignores other kids who have been targeted for abuse.
"My child has been the product of bullying because she's black," said Dion Evans, who noted that students have "never viewed a single video in the classroom" that deals with racism.
But Evans said he wasn't expecting the district to take care of what he called a parent's duties in educating his daughter, as the school is "already (too) strapped for cash to incorporate these changes."
"I know how to successfully parent, educate, and instill value and self-worth in my child," he said.
School Clams Up on 'Gay' Pledge Cards Given to Kindergartners
A California school system refuses to say what action, if any, it will take
after it received complaints about a kindergarten teacher who encouraged her
students to sign "pledge cards" in support of gays.
During a celebration of National Ally Week, Tara Miller, a teacher at the
Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in Hayward, Calif., passed out
cards produced by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
to her class of kindergartners.
The cards asked signers to be "an ally" and to pledge to "not use anti-LGBT
(lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) language or slurs; intervene, when
I feel I can, in situations where others are using anti-LGBT language or
harassing other students and actively support safer schools efforts."
The school has acknowledged that the exercise was not appropriate for
kindergartners.
Parent Adela Voelker, who declined to be interviewed in depth for this
report, said she was furious when she found her child's signature on one of
the cards. She said she contacted a non-profit legal defense organization
specializing in parents' rights.
Meanwhile, a school board member, Jeff Cook, says some type of action should
be taken.
"We have a general rule that all instruction should be age appropriate, and
this clearly was not," said Cook, who has served on the school board for
five years.
Val Joyner, a school district spokeswoman, told FOXNews.com in an e-mail
that when deciding what to teach on this subject matter, educators "gather
materials from community agencies and other education groups" and that "the
materials have grade level indicators which help determine what is age-
appropriate."
The district said the pledge cards were intended for middle school and high
school students.
Asked last week if the district planned to take action against Miller,
Joyner said she would have to look into the incident. On Thursday she told
FOXNews.com that she did not have an answer for the question and that she
would no longer be doing any media interviews.
Joyner said in an e-mail that Miller, the teacher, "planned to teach
students how to become an ally and conflict-mediation through various
activities." She added that the district doesn't advocate for a specific
cause and/or lifestyle, and it has "no curriculum for gay, lesbian and
transgender lifestyles."
The district employs a "Professional Learning Specialist: Equity," who is in
charge of gathering material and helping teachers decide what should be
taught on the subject matter.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, the group representing
Voelker, said parents at the Faith Ringgold School weren't notified of what
was going to take place in the classroom.
He said that teaching students as young as pre-school about gay, lesbian and
transgender issues is common in California, but that there are "all kinds
of material the average parent could find highly objectionable or
potentially harmful" to their children.
When asked if the school district did anything wrong, he said, "possibly,"
but he declined to go into detail or say whether Voelker would sue the
district.
Dacus would not comment specifically on whether children who signed the
pledge could be held responsible if the school determined that they were not
honoring it. He said they are minors and there are certain degrees of
limited liability, but from a psychological and emotional perspective, it's
a whole different ballgame.
"[There is] tremendous peer pressure put on children to accept a pro-
homosexual philosophy and attitude," Dacus said.
Meanwhile, opponents of gay marriage are up in arms over the incident, which
occurred as California voters prepare to vote Tuesday on Proposition 8,
which would overturn the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay
marriage.
"How do you teach a 5-year-old to sign a pledge card for lesbian, gay and
transgender issues without explaining what transgender and bisexual is?"
asked Sonja Eddings Brown, a spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California.
Angry Parents Suing California Schools Over Mandatory Gay-Friendly Classes
A lawsuit in California that was filed last month by angry parents who object to a gay-friendly curriculum they say is being foisted on kindergartners could well become a test case for schools around the country.
Parents in the Alameda Unified School District were refused the right to excuse their kids from classes that would teach all kids in the district's elementary schools about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender alternative families.
The parents say they are concerned about "indoctrination" in the schools, but administrators say the course is needed to protect against sexual discrimination — and that the lessons are protected by laws in California and 10 other states.
Those states, which stretch from Washington to Maine, will now be eyeing the court results in California in a case that warring sides say pits parents' rights against a schools' responsibilities.
To learn more about controversial teachings in school tune in to a FOX News Reporting special, "Do You Know What Textbooks Your Children Are Really Reading?" which premieres Friday, Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. EDT. Click here for a preview.
The contested California curriculum includes an annual 45-minute LGBT lesson taught to kids from kindergarten through the fifth grade. The kindergartners will focus on the harms of teasing, while the fifth graders will study sexual orientation stereotypes.
The move toward the new classes began two years ago, when teachers noticed that even kindergarten students were using derogatory words about sexuality, such as "fag."
FULL COVERAGE: Textbook Bias
The FOX News Reporting unit was present at a debate in the school district in May when angry parents pushed back against the controversial lessons, capturing over 10 hours of heated dispute, which saw parents shouting back and forth across the aisle.
• Click here to see video from the debate.
Some parents like Carrie Brash said the curriculum is necessary to combat bigotry that was already rearing its head among even young children, who were bullying her daughter in school.
Brash said her daughter had to endure taunting chants of "Lesbian, lesbian, your mom's a lesbian," from kids in school.
But other parents said the new curriculum ignores other kids who have been targeted for abuse.
"My child has been the product of bullying because she's black," said Dion Evans, who noted that students have "never viewed a single video in the classroom" that deals with racism.
But Evans said he wasn't expecting the district to take care of what he called a parent's duties in educating his daughter, as the school is "already (too) strapped for cash to incorporate these changes."
"I know how to successfully parent, educate, and instill value and self-worth in my child," he said.
School Clams Up on 'Gay' Pledge Cards Given to Kindergartners
A California school system refuses to say what action, if any, it will take
after it received complaints about a kindergarten teacher who encouraged her
students to sign "pledge cards" in support of gays.
During a celebration of National Ally Week, Tara Miller, a teacher at the
Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in Hayward, Calif., passed out
cards produced by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
to her class of kindergartners.
The cards asked signers to be "an ally" and to pledge to "not use anti-LGBT
(lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) language or slurs; intervene, when
I feel I can, in situations where others are using anti-LGBT language or
harassing other students and actively support safer schools efforts."
The school has acknowledged that the exercise was not appropriate for
kindergartners.
Parent Adela Voelker, who declined to be interviewed in depth for this
report, said she was furious when she found her child's signature on one of
the cards. She said she contacted a non-profit legal defense organization
specializing in parents' rights.
Meanwhile, a school board member, Jeff Cook, says some type of action should
be taken.
"We have a general rule that all instruction should be age appropriate, and
this clearly was not," said Cook, who has served on the school board for
five years.
Val Joyner, a school district spokeswoman, told FOXNews.com in an e-mail
that when deciding what to teach on this subject matter, educators "gather
materials from community agencies and other education groups" and that "the
materials have grade level indicators which help determine what is age-
appropriate."
The district said the pledge cards were intended for middle school and high
school students.
Asked last week if the district planned to take action against Miller,
Joyner said she would have to look into the incident. On Thursday she told
FOXNews.com that she did not have an answer for the question and that she
would no longer be doing any media interviews.
Joyner said in an e-mail that Miller, the teacher, "planned to teach
students how to become an ally and conflict-mediation through various
activities." She added that the district doesn't advocate for a specific
cause and/or lifestyle, and it has "no curriculum for gay, lesbian and
transgender lifestyles."
The district employs a "Professional Learning Specialist: Equity," who is in
charge of gathering material and helping teachers decide what should be
taught on the subject matter.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, the group representing
Voelker, said parents at the Faith Ringgold School weren't notified of what
was going to take place in the classroom.
He said that teaching students as young as pre-school about gay, lesbian and
transgender issues is common in California, but that there are "all kinds
of material the average parent could find highly objectionable or
potentially harmful" to their children.
When asked if the school district did anything wrong, he said, "possibly,"
but he declined to go into detail or say whether Voelker would sue the
district.
Dacus would not comment specifically on whether children who signed the
pledge could be held responsible if the school determined that they were not
honoring it. He said they are minors and there are certain degrees of
limited liability, but from a psychological and emotional perspective, it's
a whole different ballgame.
"[There is] tremendous peer pressure put on children to accept a pro-
homosexual philosophy and attitude," Dacus said.
Meanwhile, opponents of gay marriage are up in arms over the incident, which
occurred as California voters prepare to vote Tuesday on Proposition 8,
which would overturn the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay
marriage.
"How do you teach a 5-year-old to sign a pledge card for lesbian, gay and
transgender issues without explaining what transgender and bisexual is?"
asked Sonja Eddings Brown, a spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California.
