Not that many years ago, I ran across this little piece of fortune cookie/Bazooka Joe wisdom: “If you have to sneak to do it, lie to cover it up, or delete it to avoid being seen, then you probably shouldn’t be doing it.” And that is good advice. That is unless you are in a pitched battle against the heteronormative, white patriarchy. In that case, sneaking, lying, and deleting are not just permissible but admirable tactics. This is war, you know. Desperate times call for desperate measures. These are, after all, the times that try ze/zim/zir souls. In Jefferson County, Colorado, a number of parents are alleging that teachers broke state and federal laws and that the local teachers’ union, the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA), is aiding and abetting the teachers in that effort.
Having students fill out surveys about their gender and preferred pronouns violates federal and Colorado state laws as those things constitute “protected information.” But CBS Colorado reports that the school district maintains that it is unclear as to the legality of such surveys. However, there are several lawsuits over the matter, and administrators instructed the teachers not to address the issue or conduct any surveys.
Parent Denice Crawford was happy with an email she received from the district reminding parents that mandatory surveys inquiring about students’ protected information are illegal. The email said that voluntary surveys are also prohibited unless parents can opt out of them. Crawford, who has three children in district schools, was surprised, to say the very least, when her son came home with a survey asking about his gender identity. She told the TV station she was “deceived, lied to, taken advantage of.” Other parents, who are members of Jeffco Kids First, said that dozens of teachers conducted such surveys and that the JCEA instructed teachers via email on how to keep the surveys secret. The email read in part, “…if you do a questionnaire, please make it a paper and pencil activity – any digital records are more permanent and may be requested under federal law.” Teachers were also advised to make notations about students but not hold on to documents. School board member Susan Miller said that the JCEA gave teachers a way to work around the law. That could put the teachers’ jobs and licenses at risk. For her part, Crawford feels like the trust between her and the teachers has been broken. With a transgender nephew and a gay daughter, Crawford claims that she is not anti-LGBTQ and that, after reporting the survey to her son’s principal, there has been no reply.
Related: Teachers’ Unions Spend Summer Break Grooming Educators to Groom Children
The JCEA holds that it has been given contradictory instructions over gender identity and pronouns. But as CBS Colorado notes, the school district sent a slide to teachers that read, “Please no preferred pronoun/gender identity questionnaire. Do not promise to keep information from parents.” Brooke Williamson, the president of the JCEA, did not explain the rationale for telling teachers to hide evidence of the surveys but did say that the issue was being politicized. She issued the following statement:
By allowing students an optional avenue to share their preferred pronouns while maintaining student privacy, we can better ensure that students feel safe, respected, and validated. We encourage and support educators to follow Jeffco’s district policy which states: School staff shall not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status to others, including parents and other school staff, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure. Transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information.
The fact that the JCEA felt compelled to do an end-run around not just the parents but the school district itself speaks to just how far this doctrine has infiltrated the education system in Jefferson County. The school district told the teachers, “There will be no gender surveys.” The school district told the parents, “There will be no gender surveys.” And here comes the teachers’ union saying, “Here’s how to do a gender survey and not get caught.” Pardon my juvenile use of alliteration, but this is a true manifestation of Machiavellian malevolence. The JCEA has decided to push the trans agenda without the knowledge or permission of the parents or even the district, and whether the students are interested in transgenderism or not. The JCEA is not interested in what is best for the children. In true progressive fashion, the people at the JCEA want what they want, and the consequences be damned. The fact that the union had to sneak about to do it only adds to the adventure, drama, and romance of the deception. All they are missing are Guy Fawkes masks. They are heroes, warriors, and cultural guerrillas. They are standing up for a righteous cause. And they want to make certain that as they stand up for that cause, everyone else bows to it.
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