Meriwether Lewis Elementary School was at the center of a lawsuit between a Portland, Oregon mother and her children’s school district. (Google Earth)
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Portland Public Schools rescinded its trespass order against an Oregon mother over her opposition to the district’s gender curriculum, according to a legal group representing the parent.
In August, Allison Roberts sued Portland Public Schools after she expressed concern last year over Meriwether Lewis Elementary School’s decision to repaint its traditional rainbow pride flag into an “Intersex-Inclusive Progress” variant to include support for racial inclusion and transgender rights.
Roberts also discovered an “identity flower” assignment given to her 11-year-old child that asked students to identify and discuss their gender identity with classmates and teachers. After receiving what she described as an unsatisfactory response from the school, Roberts wrote an open letter to the community criticizing the school’s policies, which she distributed on a public sidewalk outside school property.
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Allison Roberts partnered with the Liberty Justice Center to sue Portland Public Schools over a ban from her children’s campus. (Courtesy of Liberty Justice Center)
The school later accused Roberts of “harassment, intimidation, and threatening behavior” as part of a pattern of “animus and harassment targeting vulnerable members of [the] community.” The district issued Roberts a one-year trespass order barring her from attending school events, including her child’s graduation ceremony.
According to the Liberty Justice Center, which represented Roberts, Portland Public Schools agreed to several concessions before a scheduled hearing on Roberts’ motion for a preliminary injunction. These included rescinding her campus ban, exempting her children from certain LGBTQ2SIA+-related curriculum requirements and reviewing its nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policy.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Portland Public Schools confirmed that the school district “agreed to rescind the trespass notice in mid-November.”
“PPS has and will continue to comply with all laws that serve and protect children,” the district’s statement read.
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Portland mother Allison Roberts took issue with her children’s school displaying an Intersex-inclusive Progress Pride flag. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Timothy Snowball, lead attorney for the Liberty Justice Center’s PARENTS Initiative, called the concessions a “victory” and told Fox News Digital that they were a sign of the school district recognizing that these actions were unconstitutional.
“The timing of this settlement is not a coincidence,” he said. “Only two days before the negotiations started, the district was set on fighting Allison Roberts. But after an hour or two with a federal judge explaining to them why their conduct was unconstitutional, they immediately changed their plans.”
Just goes to show that the students aren’t the only ones in Portland who need an education on basic civics,” Snowball added.
Another hearing on the district’s policies is scheduled for Dec. 1, with a focus on policies Snowball said allow teachers to withhold information from parents.
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“Portland Public Schools tried to silence a mother who dared to question what was happening in her children’s school. Now the district has agreed to withdraw its warning, rescind its campus ban, and recognize her right to speak freely,” Snowball said in a separate statement.
“This is a major victory, not just for Allison Roberts, but for every parent who has been told to stay quiet and leave these decisions to school officials,” the statement continued. “But the fight is not over. The district continues to defend policies that allow school officials, under certain circumstances, to withhold important information from parents about their own children.”
“Parents have the fundamental right to direct their children’s upbringing and education. We intend to keep fighting until those rights are protected,” Snowball added.
Roberts previously told Fox News Digital that she had received widespread support for her legal efforts.
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“It has been heartening to see the outpouring of support from my local Portland community, and from parents and grandparents across the country,” she said. “I never wanted things to get to this point. But knowing that I’m fighting this battle not just for my family, but for millions of American families, reassures me that bringing this suit is the right thing to do.”