Dispute breaks out in school over trans education
A dispute has broken out between two groups of parents at a California school over the education of trans issues.
A kindergarten teacher gave a lesson on transgender people as she has a trans student in her class.
Part of the lesson was reading two books about transgender people for her students.
The books, including “I am Jazz”, are child-friendly.
However, some parents have hit out at the teacher’s decision to talk about gender identity to their children sparking a meeting of the school board.
It comes after parents claim that their children came home confused and upset by the books that the teacher read.
Chelsea Mcquistan, one parent, told Sacramento CBS: “The kindergarteners came home very confused about whether you could pick your gender whether or not they really were a boy or a girl.”
A different parent said in the meeting: “I want her to hear from me as a parent what her gender identity means to her and her family.”
“These parents feel betrayed by the school district that they were not notified,” said Karen England.
A third added: “My daughter went home crying, shaking, afraid she could turn into a boy.”
Speaking at the meeting, the teacher said that she did not intend to upset the students.
“What I will share over and over again is how proud I was of my students.
“It was never my intention to harm any students only to support them through difficult situations.”
The teacher set up the lesson to make it easier for her trans student to come out to their fellow class mates.
However, a fellow teacher at the school who teaches the 7th grade, Kelly Bryson, said that the parents should have been informed prior to the lesson.
She said: “It’s really about the parents being informed and involved and giving us the choice and the rights about whats getting introduced to our kids and at what age.
“Heading in the direction of banned books or book lists or selected literature that should only be read outside of the classroom is a dangerous way to go.”
The books that the teacher read are not banned by the school district and neither is discussions about gender identity.
