(UnitedVoice.com) – There’s a battle taking place around the country at the state and local levels. Conservative lawmakers and activists are trying to keep content they feel is inappropriate for kids to learn out of schools. That includes material that discusses the LGBTQ+ community. The parental rights laws that prevent discussion of those topics are in mostly conservative states.
New York officials have issued a notice to local school districts informing them of their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates under the law. Critics claim state officials are trying to prevent locals from removing allegedly lewd material from schools.
Guidance to Officials
On August 9, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa issued joint guidance to school officials. The letter was sent to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) informing them of their “obligation to place dignity, inclusion, and respect” at the forefront of their educational decisions, as required by law. The state requires all schools to create environments where kids can learn “without fear of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation.”
LEAs are required to provide materials and lessons that meet the inclusivity standards. That includes allowing materials written by people from all walks of life in schools and giving kids the opportunity to learn material from different perspectives. The guidance claimed school districts could violate the law in a number of ways, including:
- Banning books about black history or written from the perspective of black people.
- Removing diverse materials from classrooms under the “pretext of inappropriateness or lewdness.”
- Prohibiting conversations of white supremacy and slavery.
- Banning conversations about the LGBTQ+ community.
- Prohibiting racial and LGBTQ+ support groups from accessing resources available to the schools.
- Not allowing transgender students to use the facilities or join sports teams for their chosen gender.
Those are a few of the many policies that could violate state law.
Outrage From Conservatives
The popular conservative website Breitbart published an article addressing the guidance. Writer Warner Todd Huston claimed the state is sanctioning the radical gay agenda by forcing local school districts to adhere to New York law.
That sentiment was echoed by others on social media. One X user claimed the guidance from the state is akin to waging war on “parents’ ability to safeguard their children” and on the minds of those kids.
BREAKING:
Letitia James, the AG of New York, and Dr. Betty Rosa, the commissioner of education, have just released guidance on August 9th, 2023 that explicitly threaten schools in New York that if they prohibit curriculum under the "pretext" of lewdness, inappropriateness, or… pic.twitter.com/1WaLpwTX77
— Right Side of History™️ (@xxclusionary) August 20, 2023
According to Conservatives, the guidance also pushes the transgender ideology on schools by forcing officials to allow biological males into girls’ locker rooms and restrooms. It also prohibits schools from asking so-called trans kids to provide proof that they are seeking professional help for gender issues.
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