August 2016-Not With My Child- Your Legal Right to Protest THREE (3) IMPORTANT BACK-TO-SCHOOL ACTION ITEMS
“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” Edward R. Murrow
Not With My Child- Your Legal Right to Protest THREE (3) IMPORTANT BACK-TO-SCHOOL ACTION ITEMS
1.) Do Not Sign the SR&R (Student Rights & Responsibilities) signature page for FCPS to protest the language changes. FCPS SR&R signature page (Print this by clicking here) 2.) Instead: • Either attach/print on the opposite side of the unsigned SR&R signature page, the Liberty Counsel Legal Memo (Print this memo – by clicking here), which explains why you are not signing the FCPS form. • Sign your name and write your child’s name on the Liberty Counsel Memo. Each child needs their own form. Keep a copy for your own records. • Return to your child’s school by October 7, 2016. 3.) Read your child’s Family Life Education (FLE) lessons and OPT-OUT.
For more information contact: Mychele Brickner, former Fairfax County School Board Member at-large: mbrikner@mbrikner.com
Andrea Lafferty, President, Traditional Values Coalition: alafferty@traditionalvalues.org
BACKGROUND In November 2014 and May 2015, without General Assembly approval— which means they had no legal authority to do so– the FCPS School Board added “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the non-discrimination policy. In June 2016, the School Board added “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the student code of conduct known as Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) Guidelines for the 2016-17. It was placed into the definition of “discriminatory harassment.” This means that children can be disciplined for harassment or discrimination. Could it be considered harassment if a student comments that science is not settled on the issue of transgenderism? Could it be considered discrimination for a child to comment that their religious beliefs teach the behavior is improper when the school is teaching it as normal? We have great compassion for those struggling with gender confusion issues. Harassment of any kind should not be tolerated and should be punished. WHAT IS THE LEGAL IMPACT FOR NOT SIGNING SR&R On August 17, Liberty Counsel Senior Litigation Counsel, Mary McAlister * briefed a group of parents. Handouts from the August 17th parent meeting. The following points were made: • Parents can legally object by not signing the SR&R.
• Virginia law does not permit local governments i.e. school boards, to add additional protected classes to nondiscrimination law. FCPS School Board had no legal authority to add new categories to the non-discrimination policy without General Assembly approval. • The law does not impose a penalty upon parents for not signing the SR&R form. Liberty Counsel sent a letter to Superintendent Karen Garza and the School Board informing them of the intent of parents, who disagree with the new language to object by not signing the SR&R receipt form. The letter also informs the Superintendent and the School Board that: Parents and children agree to follow the codes of conduct that do not involve potential discipline for “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,” Parents do not consent to their children being given information about sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination during classroom discussions or quizzes on the SR&R. Children will not be required to agree with the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to the discriminatory harassment provision in the SR&Rs as a prerequisite to participation in any extracurricular school programs which require signing a participation policy to abide by all of the provisions of the SR&Rs. Children will not be denied a locker or other school resources (including IEP) if the SR&R acknowledgement of receipt form is unsigned by the parent and child. FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION (FLE)— OPT OUT TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN In June 2015 the FCPS School Board added lessons on sexual orientation and transgender to the FLE curriculum from grade 7 – 10. There is objectionable material throughout. It is your duty as a parent to review these lessons and be sure they are appropriate for your child. We recommend that you use your parental right and OPT-OUT of FLE. •FCPS provides parents a login to Blackboard where you will find all of the FLE lessons all grades K-12 under the curriculum tab at the top of the page. •Please read your child’s full FLE lessons. These lessons are scripted and the teacher is to follow the script. However, there are some teachers who will take advantage and stray from the script to include inappropriate material. The only way to avoid this is to OPT OUT. •Do not rely on the descriptive statement, which is only a broad overview. •Grades K-12 all have opt-out forms — Grades 4-12 have two (2) pages of forms. •Should you decide to keep your child in the class– you may opt out of any portion you find objectionable. Please see FLE chart below with a few examples. Other resources: Handouts from the August 17th parent meeting. Prominent psychiatrist: Gay, transgender identity isn’t innate Texas Ruling On Bathroom/Locker Rooms Applies To Schools Nationwide *Liberty Counsel, with offices in Orlando, Lynchburg and Washington D.C., is a nonprofit law firm dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family. Liberty Counsel is presently representing a group of parents against FCPS on the issue of the Board’s impermissible addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to its non-discrimination policy. WHAT’S IN THE FLE •Every grade level from K-12 includes topics related to inappropriate touch that builds from good and bad touches in Kindergarten, to situations including sexual abuse and incest starting in Grade 4. •Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections is introduced to 5th grade, 11 year-old children, with a discussion of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, HPV and HIV/AIDS. This is discussed from 5th -12th grades. •5th Graders are introduced to the concept of needle sharing and 6th – 12th graders, needle sharing and intravenous drug use. •Graphic videos are shown beginning in 6th grade, describing child/teen sex trafficking (video is so graphic that the teacher is to let students leave the classroom if it is too much for them). •Oral sex is introduced to 7th graders. FCPS dropped teaching anal sex to 7th graders when it was exposed. Victory for parents. •Grade 7 – Definitions for gender identity and transgender, homosexual, and bisexual. Lessons taught as fact and proven science. Negative bias and beliefs can lead to discrimination. Emphasis on tolerance, and non-discrimination. •7th grade teachers are instructed “say to students”…. “People may have a bias, or belief, towards different groups of people that may be positive or negative. Negative bias may lead to discrimination of groups or individuals resulting in unfair treatment for no proper reason.” •Anal sex is introduced to 8th graders with continued discussion of oral sex. •Grade 9 – Human Sexuality – Sensuality, intimacy, sexualization, sexual identity. Students asked to discuss with a partner sensitive topics regarding their understanding of sexuality. •Grade 9 – suggests that contraceptives should be available to teenagers without parent notification. •9th Graders are taught …sexuality evolves from infancy to old age. •10th Graders are taught “There is a great deal we don’t know about human sexuality…things we do know…Some individuals’ assigned the sex of male have a gender identity of female – they feel their core identity is female…. •Grade 9-10 – taught that student may obtain confidential STD testing with no parental notification needed. •Grade 10 – “Stand-up, put a hand up, and pair up to review sexual orientation and gender identity.” Student homework requires students to submit their “reflection on conversation with parent” on sexual issues. Asexual defined. “We need to learn to appreciate the diversity of human experience.” •Students in Grade 10 are presented the chart of “Basic Needs Throughout a Lifetime” which states that children ages 5-11 need to be aware of sexual attractions to others and need to distinguish between love and sex. •Grade 8-12 Contraception defined, examples of each method, how it works, and how to obtain it and the relationship to disease prevention. Abstinence is mentioned. |