Parent Fenicia Redman started to give the Great Valley School Board an earful about an assignment in her son’s 11th-grade honors history class–to interview an expert on abortion. But as she spoke, the board left the room rather than hear her or look at a poster showing the assignment.
As Redman continued to speak, a security guard came up to her asking her to stop.
“It’s been five months since this board has acknowledged that minors have access in the library to sexually-explicit material as defined by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Redman said. “Tonight, I have new disturbing information that the library and the 11th grade honors government team developed an abortion interview template.”
“The librarian and the 11th-grade honors team developed an abortion interview template,” said Redman. “This is from the teacher’s arsenal.”
Previously, Redman met with her son’s teacher and the assistant principal about the interview template, which lists links to Planned Parenthood and an abortion clinic in Chester County but not to right-to-life groups.
Redman told board members the librarian, who had developed the abortion template, also posted a tweet threatening U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett that was deleted after parents complained.
“To LGBTQ students, your parents love you,” said Redman at the end of her speech after the board left. Then she told heterosexual students, “Please extend kindness to your LGBTQ peers.”
Other parents spoke to the board about inappropriate books that they believe are pornographic in various school libraries.
Redman previously brought that issue to the attention of former Republican Congressman Lou Barletta, who was running for governor. Barletta later held a press conference on the topic.
After the abrupt recess, other parents talked about who the objective arbiter is for which books can stay and which must go. They also questioned why certain teachers try to force their worldview on students and said parents should be able to determine what material is acceptable for their children.
However, East Whiteland resident Christy Largent said she supports the controversial book “Gender Queer.” It is “a graphic biography of a young female who wants to be male but has to figure out how to incorporate her female body into that fantasy.”
“I found the memoir to be enlightening and a worthwhile read as it takes the reader through the author’s journey of self-acceptance,” Largent said. “Just because a book makes a person uncomfortable, it doesn’t make it harmful.”
Parents at several Delaware Valley districts have objected to that book, including West Chester Area School District, Central Bucks, and Radnor.
Since many parents got a front-row seat to what their kids were learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, many are telling school boards that they don’t approve of various materials. Along with sexually graphic books, parents have objected to lessons in Critical Race Theory, which teaches students that Blacks are victims and Whites are oppressors.
A spokeswoman for the Great Valley School District did not respond to a request for comment.
Follow us on social media:Twitter:@DV_Journal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal
