Oregon social worker fired for gender identity books loses First Amendment case
Rod Theis, an Oregon social worker, was fired after displaying children’s books like “He Is He” and “She Is She,” which affirm biological gender. He lost his First Amendment case against the school district, with Judge John Owens ruling that schools can dictate content during work hours. The case highlights a double standard, as other teachers displayed LGBTQ+ messaging without issue.
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A Washington mother says she is withdrawing her children from an elementary school after learning a Pride-themed lesson had been presented during music class without advance notice to parents or an opportunity to opt out, raising questions about district policies governing classroom instruction.
“I assumed I had probably missed an email asking for consent, but there was nothing,” Maria Varchetto said in communications with school administrators, which she shared with Fox News Digital on Monday. “No advanced notice, no opportunity to review the lesson, no information letting parents know this topic would be discussed. No option to request that our kids be allowed to opt out and participate in an alternative activity. There was nothing.”
Varchetto alleged the lesson was presented to elementary school students, including her daughter, on June 15 at Martha Lake Elementary School in the Edmonds School District as part of a music class and that parents were not informed beforehand.
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A school classroom filled with desks. (Jeffrey Basinger/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
Varchetto said that a video entitled, “Why is Pride in June,” from the YouTube account, “Queer Kid Stuff,” which, according to the account, “imagines a kinder and more equal future through highly-accessible education and entertainment for kids ages 3+,” was shown to her fourth-grade daughter.
The YouTube channel describes itself as an “LGBTQ+ educational webseries for children ages 3+ hosted by a tie-wearing queer lady, Lindsay, and her non-binary best-stuffed friend, Teddy. Gender Studies 101 meets Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood!”
Varchetto said the incident prompted her to remove her children from the school.
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A high-angle view of a female teacher engaging with multiracial high school students during a lesson in a classroom. (iStock)
“We are 100% removing our kids from this school as I have no trust in the leadership,” Varchetto said.
Other materials Varchetto said were included were a list of videos from musicians in the LGBTQ+ community such as Freddie Mercury of Queen, Lil Nas X, and Billy Porter dancing in a ballgown on Sesame Street.
Varchetto told school officials that her daughter recalled hearing during the lesson that students could identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, asexual, nonbinary or Two-Spirit.
She said an administrator told her she had not been aware those topics were part of the classroom discussion, leaving Varchetto wondering whether the lesson included more than the materials she had been shown.
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Rearview of a large group of students raising their arms to answer the question in a class at elementary school. (Sky Nesher/Getty Images)
“No handouts were sent home (which is typical for music class),” Varchetto told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Varchetto said she asked the school for a copy of the lesson materials but was told they could only be reviewed in person rather than sent electronically. She also said parents were not notified beforehand that the lesson would be taught, were not given an opportunity to opt their children out, and received no advance communication about its content.
She said that cultural lessons were taught every month for the theme of that month, but that Pride month was left off of the list of lessons.
“I feel mad they did this, mad they hid it,” Varchetto said. “I feel insulted, offended, angry, and sad that my kids are now being taken out of a lifestyle they’ve grown to love, away from the friendships they’ve built, all because this one teacher didn’t care to ask permission and a principal lied and hid it.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Edmonds School District said, “The lesson was not part of a districtwide Pride curriculum. It was a music lesson developed by the school’s music teacher that highlighted the contributions of influential musicians, including some who identify as LGBTQ+.”
The interior of a school classroom with wooden desks, student backpacks hanging on chairs, blackboard and whiteboard at front, windows letting in bright natural sunlight, education and learning concept. (Getty Images)
The spokesperson continued, “The purpose of the lesson was to teach music and music history through the lives and contributions of notable artists. Discussions about an artist’s background or identity were included as relevant biographical context, similar to how students may learn about other aspects of historical figures’ lives that helped shape their experiences and contributions.”
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The spokesperson added, “We expect instructional materials to be age-appropriate and aligned with district expectations and state standards. As with any concern raised about classroom instruction, we will work with the school administrator to determine whether they met those expectations.”