On February 9th, the Carolina Journal published the following op-ed by Laura Macklem, NC Values Press Director, entitled “Parents are not the enemy. Schools shouldn’t shut them out.”:
A parade of teachers and activists stood in front of the long table of senators Monday night, labeling parents as abusive, volatile, unsafe adults whose involvement in their children’s difficult journeys in self-discovery would lead to suicide, self-harm and death. The militant message boldly asserts that parents are the enemies, and secrecy between schools and children should be ordained by the state.
During the Senate Rules Committee hearing about the Parents Bill of Rights, Democrat state Sen. Julie Mayfield said children face “withering inquisitions from parents” about their gender confusion, painting parents as berating outsiders instead of concerned family members. Senators were asked by activists to trust schools as secret keepers of “affirming spaces” and that asserted any attempt for parents to be informed about pronoun changes was “policing queerness.”
Sen. Amy Galey, the Republican bill sponsor, reminded attendees that SB 49 makes provisions for rare instances where children might be subject to abuse if parents learn about their child’s chosen identity. But that provision wasn’t quite enough to satisfy anti-parental rights activists, who want parents left out in the cold while school employees usurp the moral and emotional guidance of other people’s children.
In the last two months, there have been 13 documented sex crimes by North Carolina school employees, one charge for larceny, four for assault, one for being drunk while teaching, and another for child pornography. Considering the number of crimes, with the majority being sexual and assault charges, the school system and their activists are in no position to claim moral authority over parents. In fact, between the sexual assault by school employees, the bullying, violence, and drug use, it seems schools are one of the least safe spaces for children.
Speakers in favor of SB 49 gave shocking examples of why transparency is needed, detailing graphic sexual storylines in books offered in schools and gender confusing books aimed at kindergartners.
A retired Orange County school teacher of 16 years said in a statement to the committee, “these books in media center would make grown people blush… We are supposed to protect our children, not harm them.” She added that being asked to use alternative pronouns contributed to her decision to retire early.
NC Values Coalition executive director Tami Fitzgerald told the committee that Charlotte Mecklenburg School District started using “Welcoming Schools” in 2016, a teacher development program directing teachers to incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity into lesson plans.
Sen. Amy Galey has been the “mom representative” for many — she speaks on behalf of most moms in the state. Very plainly, Galey said in a press conference, “It baffles me to think that this bill could be divisive, quite frankly. I cannot understand why it would be controversial to say that children 5-6-7-8-9 years old should not be taught about sexuality or sexual activity in a public school classroom.”
The campaign to shut parents out while school administrators provide pornography, keep secrets, and indoctrinate children is indeed baffling. It’s especially troubling that the pattern follows grooming tactics, which include gaining access, trust development, isolating children from parents, and desensitizing children to sexual material by slowly exposing it to them. If you reference the Pavement Education Project’s website you can see examples of pornography and books on gender ideology by county and school in North Carolina. As one speaker put it, there is no academic value in teaching children about gender fluidity or showing them sexually explicit material. Schools should stick to academics and leave cultural issues to the family.
None of this happens suddenly; it’s been a slow drip of agenda-driven curriculum brought to parents’ attention largely during COVID shutdowns. The activists paint themselves as victims of parents who are in the wings, waiting to violently abuse their children because of gender confusion. Teachers who spoke positioned themselves as necessary parental surrogates, the first adults who should rightfully respond to students’ personal struggles. The character assassination of parents is simply a way to gain exclusive access to children, cutting out parents to influence an agenda.
Thankfully, the Senate passed S.B. 49. As the House considers a response, I hope members will consider the harmful toll educational agendas have taken on our children. While test scores continue to fall, mental health problems and gender confusion continue to rise. Schools are failing in their mission to provide a solid education that will prepare students to become productive, educated members of society. They should leave moral and personal matters to families.
Laura Macklem is the press and political director for NC Values.
