#superintendent of public instruction

[tomorrowusa]

North Carolina seems to be the vortex for MAGA extremism this year.

We thought that the GOP candidate for governor Mark Robinson was off the scale.

Meet North Carolina’s GOP Governor Candidate: A Hitler-Quoting Extremist

But Michele Morrow, the GOP nominee for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, makes Mark Robinson sound almost mainstream.

In other comments on social media between 2019 and 2021 reviewed by CNN’s KFile, Morrow made disturbing suggestions about executing prominent Democrats for treason, including Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chuck Schumer and other prominent people such as Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates. “I prefer a Pay Per View of him in front of the firing squad,” she wrote in a tweet from May 2020, responding to a user sharing a conspiracy theory who suggested sending Obama to prison at Guantanamo Bay. “I do not want to waste another dime on supporting his life. We could make some money back from televising his death.” In another post in May 2020, she responded to a fake Time Magazine cover that featured art of Obama in an electric chair asking if he should be executed. “Death to ALL traitors!!” Morrow responded. In yet another comment, Morrow suggested in December 2020 killing Biden, who at that time was president-elect, and has said he would ask Americans to wear a mask for 100 days. “Never. We need to follow the Constitution’s advice and KILL all TRAITORS!!! #JusticeforAmerica,” she wrote. CNN reached out to Morrow and her campaign multiple times but did not receive a response.

But wait, there's more!

Morrow also promoted QAnon slogans and tweeted that the actor Jim Carrey was “… likely searching for adrenochrome” – a reference to a conspiracy theory shared by QAnon believers that celebrities harvest and drink the blood of children to prolong their own lives. Media Matters, a left-leaning publication, was first to report the QAnon tweets. All together, Morrow tweeted “WWG1WGA” – the slogan that stands for “where we go one, we go all” and is commonly associated with the QAnon conspiracy – more than seven times in 2020. Central to QAnon lore is the notion of the “Storm,” a belief there will be a day when thousands will purportedly be arrested, subjected to military tribunals, and face mass executions for their alleged crimes, with Donald Trump leading efforts to dismantle them alongside other QAnon “patriots.”

Morrow seems to get off on executions a lot. Her addiction to QAnon (who hasn't been around for years) is not at all out of character.

Sadly, such Republican candidates are hardly unusual these days.

To defeat such MAGA fascist extremist psychopaths it will be necessary to become more politically active in real life this year. That means volunteering, donating, and being more visible as pro-democracy Americans. And not just in North Carolina but nationwide.

My new favorite slogan this year is a classic rallying cry from civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson:

Nobody will save us from us but us.

#north carolina #extremists #maga #republicans #fascists #michele morrow #north carolina superintendent of public instruction #conspiracy theories #qanon #mark robinson #adolph hitler #donald trump #election 2024 #vote blue no matter who

[itgetsbetterproject]

Some proof that there ARE elected officials out there, like Vice Mayor Sean Cummings in Oklahoma, who are standing up for LGBTQ+ youth like Nex Benedict and calling out the fact that our words and rhetoric DO matter.

[Context: In this video, Sean Cummings is seen speaking to Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters referring to the death of student Nex Benedict].

#itgetsbetter #justice for nex benedict #justice for nex #nex benedict #oklahoma #lgbtq youth #queer youth

[robynochs]

"Are we removing books from any school or media center, Prek-12 if a character has, for example, 2 mothers or because there is a gay best friend or a main character is gay?" the librarians asked. Charlotte County Superintendent Vianello answered, "Yes."

What is happening in Florida is extremely dangerous. We must take a stand against book banning.

LGBTQIA+ people are here, we are numerous & we will not rendered silent or invisible. Those days are long past. Children DESERVE accurate information about our history & our present.

#book banning #lgbtq #lgbtqia+

[mckitterick]

Christofascist Republican calls LGBTQ people "filth" during public forum

The culture of hate among Christofascists recently led to the violent beating and subsequent death of Choctaw two-spirit teenager Nex Benedict in Oklahoma.

When questioned about how 50+ anti-LGBTQ bills might have affected this case, State Senator Tom Woods said,

“We are a Republican state - supermajority - in the House and Senate. I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma.”

Several audience members clapped at his statement, while others appeared shocked.

“We are a religious state and we are going to fight it to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma because we are a Christian state - we are a moral state,” Woods said. “We want to ... let people be able to go to the faith they choose. We are a Republican state and I’m going to vote my district, and I’m going to vote my values, and we don’t want that in the state of Oklahoma.”

State Representative David Hardin added, “How you live your life personally, that’s between you and God... but what goes through our public schools - I will fall back on my faith. I want to make sure that at least the children in our public schools have that faith... what I want to make sure of is that our young children have the right to grow up with that faith."

After the forum, Woods reiterated his stance on the matter: "I support my constituency, and like I said, we’re a Christian state, and we are tired of having that shoved down our throat at every turn... I stand behind my statement, and I stand behind the Republican Party values."

When asked what he thought of Woods’ characterization of LGBTQ people as “filth,” State Senator Dewayne Pemberton said, “No comment.”

Again and again, today's christofascist Republicans (any other sort doesn't get elected these days) reveal that they want to indoctrinate public school kids into their own bigoted hatred, forcing children to hate anyone who doesn't subscribe to their narrow interpretation of their religious texts. Christofascists seek to impose their personal, misguided religious biases on the general public, including creating laws codifying hate and authoritarian control over the lives and bodies of everyone, not just others in their own religion.

Make no mistake, Nex Benedict's death was caused by christofascist indoctrination of the three girls who brutally beat Nex in that school bathroom. Nex Benedict's death was caused by the school failing to take their injuries seriously, by hate codified in Oklahoma state laws designed to harass LGBTQ folks and normalize bigotry against them, by Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters appointing hate-speech villain Chaya Raichik (responsible for "Libs of TikTok") to the Oklahoma Department of Education's Library Media Advisory Committee even though she doesn't live in the state (but he likes that she used Benedict's school and teacher for targeted hate). And on and on - it's a systematic attack on personal freedom and human rights - and the lives of queer folks.

Nex Benedict's death is exactly what christofascists seek through indoctrinating children into their hate that perpetuates bigotry into the future and forcing their religious fanaticism into the public sphere through unconstitutional laws built on hate and control.

Do you want to live in a theocracy dictated by those who narrowly interpret their personal religious texts to promote hate? Because as long as citizens fail to speak out against these harbingers of civilizational collapse, they'll only feel more and more emboldened to turn hate crimes into victories.

We must not let another of our people become victim of systemic bigotry. To protect children and end generational indoctrination, we must fire all public officials who subscribe to christofascist hatred and, when appropriate, prosecute them for the violence they incite.

If we fail to end the careers of hateful christofascists, we fail our children.

#Nex Benedict #christofascism #theocracy #fire all republicans

[reynard61]

[planetofsnarfs]

When a child dies – any child – the loss is incalculable. There’s the loss of a son or daughter, a sibling, a cousin, a best friend. There’s a loss of a life, snuffed out before its time. The loss of a future – who knows what that child could have accomplished? 

And when that child dies, particularly under horrific circumstances, there is a loss of innocence for all of us, regardless of whether we knew that child or not. Among the first impulses for anyone with a heart who wishes to protect other children is to find a way – any way – to prevent a loss like that from happening again.

The hyper-cruel antithesis of this is what’s going on right now in Oklahoma in the wake of 16-year-old Nex Benedict’s death. As we first reported, Nex, a transgender sophomore at Owasso High School, was brutally beaten by other students in a school bathroom and died the following day. The incident has drawn national attention – but not nearly enough, in my opinion – with many attributing the violent act to a culture of transphobia they say is being stoked by state officials.

Days before Nex’s death, The Oklahoman reported that there were a whopping 50 bills in the state legislature targeting LGBTQ+ people. The state ranks 48th in both education and health care. Don’t you think the state legislature and state government officials have better things to do than sow queer hate among its citizens? 

One of those state officials is the superintendent of public instruction, Ryan Walters. Even before Nex’s death, Walters was virulently anti-LGBTQ+. More than 350 LGBTQ+ organizations, activists, and celebrities urged his removal from office after Nex died, saying he has encouraged “a climate of hate and bigotry” throughout his career. Nex’s death didn’t stop him from fanning the flames of hate.

Walters poured salt into a festering wound, telling The New York Times, “There's not multiple genders. There’s two. That’s how God created us.” He added that he did not believe that nonbinary or transgender people exist and that the state would not let students use names or pronouns other than those matching their birth records.

It seems the goal of the official responses around Nex’s death has been to protect those who bullied and beat him. Police were quick to release initial reports saying that Nex "did not die as a result of trauma."

It’s important to note that school officials did not reprimand, sanction, or report to authorities the students who critically harmed Nex. “No report of the incident was made to the Owasso Police Department prior to the notification at the hospital,” Chief Dan Yancey told The Advocate.

The police jumped out over their skis with their initial statement, which raised eyebrows. In fact, Sue Benedict, who was Nex’s adoptive mother, told the news site Popular Information that a statement released by the Owasso Police was a “big cover."

Parents and other members of the public expressed outrage over how the school was handling the response to Nex’s death, particularly pointing out that protecting queer kids and making sure that it didn’t happen again was not a priority for the school board. “Apparently people don’t feel safe here. I can’t imagine why at all,” public commenter Walter Masterson said at the first Owasso school board meeting after Nex's death. “A more 'woke' school board would see the death of a child and work to make sure it never happens again. Not this board.” 

Then, along comes the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Oklahoma, which concluded that Nex died by suicide. The medical examiner’s one-page summary report identifies the cause of death as combined toxicity from diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and fluoxetine (Prozac). Noticeably absent from the report were all the injuries Nex incurred the day before.

My colleague Christopher Wiggins was once a paramedic. When he saw the cause of death was attributed to two very common medications, he decided to investigate. He’s a damn good reporter, and his suspicions regarding the report were justified. He reached out to two toxicology experts, who first made it clear that they weren’t privy to Nex’s autopsy report; however, they told Christopher that the risk of death from these medications, especially when used as directed, is extraordinarily low.

In response to the coroner’s report, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement, “Nex’s family accurately notes how the report released this week does not reflect the full picture of what happened to Nex and continues to urge accountability of those who failed to keep Nex and all students in Oklahoma safe from bullying, harassment, assault, and most brutally, death.”

Now you have this full picture of all those involved, coupled with a backdrop of hate. Taken in its totality, the reaction to Nex’s death shows that a corrupt, do-nothing clique is part of a deceptive lie and cover-up that shows they did nothing, zero, zilch to protect the life of Nex or any child like him. The authorities' only goal is to protect the perpetrators, not just those who attacked Nex but all those who will be emboldened to beat others just like Nex in the future in school bathrooms throughout the state.

The grossly deceptive response to Nex’s death makes the state of Oklahoma a breeding ground for the bullying – and for beating to injury or death – of LGBTQ+ kids. What the state is doing goes against all we know about protecting vulnerable children. 

If the state legislature pushes hate bills, if state officials spew hate, if local authorities and administrators cover up hate, then you create this breeding ground. You create an atmosphere where that hate explodes, like it did with Nex, and you use hate to demean the victim and ennoble the haters.

Suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth are astronomically high. If Nex ultimately did commit suicide -- and this initial autopsy report does not make a convincing case -- then Oklahoma officials still deserve to be held accountable. Oklahoma's LGBTQ+ suicide prevention line saw a 230 percent increase in calls after the cause of Nex's death was revealed by the coroner. As transgender activist Ari Drennan noted, in a climate of anti-trans hate, "every trans suicide is a murder." 

But if Nex's death was ruled a suicide to avoid addressing anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, Oklahoma officials have crossed a line. Using suicide as a cover, as a deception, should be a crime.

It is worth repeating the ominous words of Walters that nonbinary or transgender people don’t exist. That means, in Walters’s world, Nex never existed. And if Nex never existed, how would Walters and other officials associated with him be able to objectively investigate Nex’s death?

All of which means that Nex’s autopsy report is a lie and a facade. Null and void. Plain and simple. Nex and his family deserve so much more, and we need to keep protesting loudly until we get the truth.

#nex benedict #children #teens #youth #public schools #public safety #republican party #christian nationalism #ryan walters #owasso high school #oklahoma

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

“Michele Morrow, a conservative activist who last week upset the incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina’s Republican primary, expressed support in 2020 for the televised execution of former President Barack Obama and suggested killing then-President-elect Joe Biden.

In other comments on social media between 2019 and 2021 reviewed by CNN’s KFile, Morrow made disturbing suggestions about executing prominent Democrats for treason, including Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chuck Schumer and other prominent people such as Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates.

“I prefer a Pay Per View of him in front of the firing squad,” she wrote in a tweet from May 2020, responding to a user sharing a conspiracy theory who suggested sending Obama to prison at Guantanamo Bay. “I do not want to waste another dime on supporting his life. We could make some money back from televising his death.”

In another post in May 2020, she responded to a fake Time Magazine cover that featured art of Obama in an electric chair asking if he should be executed.

“Death to ALL traitors!!” Morrow responded.

In yet another comment, Morrow suggested in December 2020 killing Biden, who at that time was president-elect, and has said he would ask Americans to wear a mask for 100 days.

“Never. We need to follow the Constitution’s advice and KILL all TRAITORS!!! #JusticeforAmerica,” she wrote.”

😡

#republican assholes #maga morons #traitor trump #crooked donald #republican values #republican family values #Republican political violence #stochastic terrorism

[arrthurpendragon]

Prayers and positive vibes for tomorrow. I was selected to have the district superintendent in my classroom - because I’m doing so well with the new reading curriculum (100% of my last class was at mastery or above) and also to show that my class size is too big. The program recommends classes of 12-15 for ideal instruction- I have 24 students in mine (again, I got the biggest class because I’m doing so well lol)

Funny how in the public school I’m suddenly a very capable and stand-out teacher. Lol.

[antidrumpfs]

GOP nominee to run North Carolina schools once called for Obama’s execution

The Republican nominee for superintendent overseeing North Carolina’s public schools and its $11 billion budget has a history marked by extreme and controversial comments, including sharing baseless conspiracy theories and frequent calls for the execution of prominent Democrats. Michele Morrow, a conservative activist who upset the incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina’s Republican primary, expressed support in 2020 for the televised execution of former President Barack Obama and suggested killing then-President-elect Joe Biden. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski has the story.

#right wing extremism #right wing terrorism #republicons #rethuglicans #recall every republican #vote blue #vote democrat #votebluetosaveamerica #Youtube

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Alvarado's amendment stipulates that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must collaborate with organizations that have "expertise in teaching lessons on genocide and crimes against humanity in different regions of the world and at various points in history, particularly including diasporic communities with lived experiences of surviving, being made refugee by, or otherwise being directly impacted by genocide." This is seen as an attempt to include Palestinians in the curriculum.

Alvarado defended her surprise amendment on the House floor, claiming it was intended to make the proposed Holocaust education more "inclusive" and "accountable."

House Democrats, realizing they lacked the votes to pass the Holocaust education bill without the amendment due to their radical members, adjourned for the night. They returned the next day united in their support for the "Hamas amendment," leaving the GOP with the difficult choice of either passing the legislation or appearing to oppose Holocaust education.

Republican State Representative Travis Couture expressed his concerns about the amendment, stating, "I have some concerns with language included in a surprise amendment by the majority party that I believe weakened the bill."

The bill, now including the "Hamas Amendment," has passed and is headed to the State Senate. Democratic members there have discarded the original bill in favor of the House bill, leaving the future of the legislation uncertain.

#emily alvarado #hamas amendment #holocaust and genocide education #seattle #democrats

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

CANADA DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS CIRCULAR OTTAWA, 15th December, 1921. It is observed with alarm that the holding of dances by the Indians on their reserves is on the increase, and that these practices tend to disorganize the efforts which the Department is putting forth to make then self-supporting. I have, therefore, to direct you to use your utmost endeavours to dissuade the Indians from excessive indulgence in the practice of dancing. You should suppress any dances which cause waste of time, interfere with the occupations of the Indians, unsettle then for serious work, injure their health or encourage them in sloth and idleness. You should also dissuade, and, if possible, prevent them from leaving their reserves for the 'purpose of attending fairs, exhibitions, etc., when the absence would result in their own farming and other interests being neglected. It is realized that reasonable amusement and recreation should be enjoyed by Indians, but they should not be allowed to dissipate their energies and abandon themselves to demoralizing amusements. By the use of tact and firmness you can obtain control and keep it, and this obstacle to continued progress vill then disappear. The rooms, halls or other places in which Indians congregate should be under constant inspection. They should be scrubbed, fumigated, cleansed or disinfected to prevent the dissemination of disease. The Indians should be instructed in regard to the matter of proper ventilation and the avoidance of over-crowding rooms where public assemblies are being held, and proper arrangement should be made for the shelter of their horses and ponies. The Agent shall avail themselves of the services of the medical attendant of his agency in this connection.

Except where further information is desired, there will be no necessity to acknowledge the receipt of this circular. Yours very truly, Duncan Campbell Scott Deputy Superintendent General Thos. Graham, Esq.. Indian Agent. [Perhaps one of the bluntest example of the attempt to extirpate Indigenous cultural practices, and frankly, their existence as communities, by the Canadian Department of Indian Affairs.]

#primary document #department of indian affairs #settler colonialism in canada #settler colonialism #violence of settler colonialism #banning cultural practices #racism in canada #anti-indigenous racism #indigenous people #first nations #indigenous history #canadian history #duncan campbell scott

[itgetsbetterproject]

Today, in response to the death of Nex Benedict, we at It Gets Better joined more than 350 LGBTQ+ orgs, civil rights groups, and public figures in calling on Oklahoma legislative leadership to immediately remove Ryan Walters as the state’s superintendent of public instruction; and to launch an investigation into the Department of Education.

All youth should feel support and encouragement at school, not bullying and harassment. Nex Benedict is not with us today, because those who are responsible for education in the state of Oklahoma have enabled a climate of hate and bigotry that led to Nex’s death.

Read our letter and join our demands for action: bit.ly/JusticeForNex

#it gets better #nex benedict #justice for nex benedict #oklahoma #queer youth #lgbtqia

[batboyblog]

dispatches from Republican America, Jan 24 2024

Texas:

“Texas saw an estimated 26,313 rape-related pregnancies during the 16 months after the state outlawed all abortions, with no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association,”

“The authors noted that while some pregnant rape survivors who need abortion care may be able to travel out of state or manage the pregnancy at home with abortion pills, the bans leave many survivors without a viable alternative.”

Oklahoma:

On Tuesday, Oklahoma's superintendent of public instruction, Ryan Walters, announced he was appointing right-wing social media influencer Chaya Raichik — best known for her controversial Libs of TikTok social media accounts — to an advisory role on the state's Library Media Advisory Committee. That will allow her to help determine which books are appropriate for Oklahoma school libraries.

Raichik's social media accounts are known for targeting liberals, LGBTQ people and teachers. Often, she uses incendiary claims and conspiracy theories to suggest without evidence that members of these groups engage in the indoctrination or sexual exploitation of children. And both Raichik and Walters have been accused of stoking bomb threats toward people and places featured in Raichik's videos: Walters has faced calls to resign over claims that he helped incite bomb threats toward a librarian when he reshared an edited Libs of TikTok video. That video also led to bomb threats against his home; Walters called such threats "reprehensible and unacceptable," according to KOCO News, and said they were being investigated. Raichik, meanwhile, has been accused of inciting threats against hospitals and schools.

Ohio:

Ohio has banned gender-affirming care for minors and restricted transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams, a move that has families of transgender children scrambling over how best to care for them.

The Republican-dominated Senate voted Wednesday to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto. The new law bans gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies, and restricts mental health care for transgender individuals under 18. The measure also bans transgender girls and women from girls and women’s sports teams at both the K-12 and collegiate level.

Officials expect the law to take effect in roughly 90 days. 

Texas (again):

Texas is apparently taking advantage of a loophole in a recent Supreme Court ruling involving the US-Mexico border in order to keep putting up more razor-wire fencing along the Rio Grande riverbank.

The Supreme Court's 5-4 Monday ruling delivered a huge win to the Biden administration in its ongoing legal battle with Texas over the southern border by allowing federal border agents to cut or move barbed wire fencing the Republican-controlled state installed at the border.

The ruling does not call for Texas to take any action in the matter — and the state's Republican governor, Greg Abbott, suggested in a post to X on Wednesday that Texas will keep putting up the fencing, even if federal border agents take it down.

"Texas' razor wire is an effective deterrent against the illegal border crossings encouraged by [President Joe] Biden's open border policies," Abbott said. "We continue to deploy this razor wire to repel illegal immigration."

#Politics #us politics #republicans #rape #transphobia #trans ban #abortion #immigration #Texas #libs of tiktok

[coochiequeens]

The school that lets a teacher were giant fake breasts for “gender identity” is rejecting a teacher dress code. But will they still harass girls for dress code violations like if a bra strap is exposed?

Top administrators at a controversial school board in Ontario have released an information report rejecting the possibility of implementing staff dress code. The report comes just weeks after widespread backlash over one of their transgender teachers donning large fake breasts in front of students.

On November 9, the Halton District School Board (HDSB) held a Board of Trustees meeting to address routine school operations. During the meeting, a special report was presented in which assessment was made of human rights and legal considerations for a dress code enforcement among HDSB staff. 

The report was related to a September 21 school board motion requesting the Director of Education investigate whether it would be possible to implement a workplace dress code The motion had been proposed following international backlash over Kayla Lemieux, a teacher at Oakville Trafalgar High School. 

Images and videos of Lemieux wearing what appeared to be a massive prosthetic bust, complete with protruding nipples, had gone viral on social media in September. Lemieux was seen donning the inappropriate gear while instructing classes. 

According to students at Oakville Trafalgar, Lemieux had reportedly begun identifying as transgender in 2021. While Lemieux’s intentions have been the subject of debate, a YouTube video of a tech class uploaded by Lemieux demonstrated he had been presenting himself in this way since at least May — months prior to any widespread public knowledge.

Reduxx was first to confirm the origin and identity of the viral media, and the subsequent backlash resulted in Oakville Trafalgar becoming a hotspot for international media coverage and local protests as many noted Lemieux’s prosthetic breasts were inappropriate for a school setting.

Shortly after news of Lemieux’s appearance began to spread, the Halton District School Board issued a hasty email to the families of students at Oakville Trafalgar which appeared to defend Lemieux.

“We are aware of discussion on social media and in the media regarding Oakville Trafalgar High School. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate to our community that we are committed to establishing and maintaining a safe, caring, inclusive, equitable and welcoming learning and working environment for all students and staff,” the email read, then deferring to the Ontario Human Rights Code.

“We strive to promote a positive learning environment in schools consistent with the values of the HDSB and to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all students, staff and the community, regardless of race, age, ability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, socioeconomic circumstances or body type/size.”

Some noted that students at HDSB schools were subject to a dress code which explicitly forbade the display of genitals and nipples, and that it appeared Lemieux was being given special privileges due to his “gender expression.”

At the time, Canadian journalist Jon Kay noted that Lemieux’s attire was most commonly associated with a type of computer-generated animated pornography from Japan known as bakunyū, or, “exploding milk/breasts.”

Following sustained outrage, the Halton District School Board unanimously passed a motion on September 21 requesting a review into whether it would be possible to implement a workplace dress code.

On November 8, the information report associated with the review was completed and submitted to the Board of Trustees, and presented at the Board meeting the next day.

In the report, the HDSB Superintendent of Human Resources, Sari Taha, and Director of Education, Curtis Ennis, wrote that the implementation of an enforceable dress code with respect to employee professionalism would “expose the Board to considerable liability.”

Taha and Ennis provided an analysis of the labor law and human rights code considerations if the Board were to establish a staff dress code, placing special emphasis on gender identity.

” … it is important to recognize the impact that dress code policies can have on members of the transgender community. Most notably, it is important for employers to make allowances to ensure that these employees are able to express themselves in accordance with their lived gender.”

It continues: “Even if a dress code is implemented for non-discriminatory reasons, it would likely be found to be discriminatory where it adversely affects an employee or group of employees on the basis of their Code protected grounds.” 

The report concludes by dismissing the possibility of a dress code as having any impact on the professionalism of staff, writing: “… we note that if the employer desires to foster a culture of professionalism, respect, equity and inclusion, a truly reasonable and non-discriminatory dress code or grooming standards would most likely fail to yield the intended results.”

During the November 9 School Board meeting, Taha, who had co-authored the report, firmly rejected the implementation of a dress code, citing an undue burden on “women and persons of the other identity community.”

Following Taha’s presentation of the report, HDSB Trustee Tanya Rocha clarified with Tara that implementing a dress code policy for staff would “fail” and be a step backwards.

“All other institutions are removing dress codes and there really is no need for one here… and if we even tried, it would not pass all of the litmus tests you mentioned,” Rocha said.

To another trustee, Taha stated: “Inherently, dress codes are adversely impacting women and other groups, disproportionately.”

The Halton District School Board has received ample criticism for their handling of the situation with Lemieux. Despite widespread outrage, Board members have explicitly refused to comment on the appropriateness of Lemieux’s attire, and have defended his right to wear the prosthetic breasts on multiple occasions.

The sole statement HDSB has made in relation to the Lemieux situation was on September 20, when the Board clarified that the name “Stephen Hanna” had been incorrectly circulated as being associated with the individual in the photos and videos. 

HSDB also declined to confirm the identity of the individual as being Kayla Lemieux, but Reduxx had verified that name through Oakville Trafalgar’s own staff directory and associated G-suite profiles.

Since September, HDSB has refused repeated requests to provide Reduxx with Lemieux’s Ontario College of Teachers registration number, which is intended to be public information.

Lemieux is reportedly still wearing the prosthetic breasts on a day-to-day basis.

By Anna Slatz Anna is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Reduxx, with a journalistic focus on covering crime, child predators, and women's rights. She lives in Canada, enjoys Opera, and kvetches in her spare time.

#Ontario #Canada #Halton District School Board (HDSB) #Kayla Lemieux #Oakville Trafalgar High School

[psalm22-6]

The Continuing Saga of Les Misérables and Censorship

"Continuing" in that I continue to find out more about this one specific instance that took place in Philadelphia in the late 1890's. To recap, Miss Dalcourt, a French teacher at an all girl's high school, proposed an abridged version of Les Misérables as part of her curriculum. However, the majority of the school board voted that it should be banned, as the topic of "grisettes" was inappropriate. The story was picked up (and mocked) around the country, including in the Vestkusten and the Abendblatt (newspapers for Swedish and German immigrants, respectively.) [See here for the full saga.] @sherbertilluminated had previously translated an article for me from the Abendblatt, which told how Les Misérables was ultimately allowed in Miss Dalcourt's classroom and asked me to keep an eye out for any other German language articles on the subject. And so today Sheb and I (but mostly Sherb) bring you this opinionated piece from the Abendblatt, published the 13th of October 1897:

The decision of a committee of the Philadelphia School Board not to recommend Victor Hugo’s moral novel “The Poor and the Miserable” [Les Miserables] as a French text for the public high school for girls has aroused scrutiny and consistently suffered derogatory judgment. Superintendent Rover’s proposal to use the book in a girl’s school for instruction in the French language may appear conspicuous and could rather have deserved censure. One can find the goal of the author to introduce the reader into the lives of the lowest classes meritorious, and nevertheless need not consider the filth uncovered there to be a suitable intellectual nourishment for immature daughters. One does not lead the youth into those classes in real life, why should one then do so in school? The task of the school is to enrich the youth with knowledge, not with things whose acquaintance has a very dubious worth also for [those of] mature age. Novels will be written in order to create the largest possible draft; there the moral aim is least determinative and will be most highly followed, incidentally. And then the moral aim is not to make the uncorrupted youth acquainted with the blights of human society, but to make attentive toward suppressing these blights those who can work toward such. A teenage girl [“baked fish,” apparently a slang term?], seated at school, cannot do this. Certainly Hugo did not write the novel for school. That Victor Hugo’s books are found in our public library has long proven nothing. In our public library are found quite many books which were not designed for youth, as in our Art Institute are found quite many statues before which a chaste maiden need not linger in critical observation. One does not suit himself for all, neither in the visual arts nor in the scriptural. There are parents who would never ever, if they knew it, foist such reading material onto their children, but there are also parents who would, and those who would never ever, if they knew that Victor’s work “Les Miserables” also visited the [children] of the High School, would put it in their hands. We must thus defer to the committee. In any case, the judgment of a whole delegation, according to the trials put before them, is greater than the judgment of an individual who only admires the language in the work. The pupils of the Philadelphia High School are in any case not so advanced that they cannot know to differentiate between a work of Hugo’s and [that] of another of the better French writers. On this point we can be assured. Full respect to Hugo’s spirit and his creations, but also full respect to the discrimination of the Philadelphian committee, who, itself in danger of exposing itself to the accusation of prudery, has the courage to refuse the youth a dish which they still are incapable of digesting.

The bold parts are just me highlighting the parts I found most entertaining. Also, the whole second paragraph, where the author says that the goal of Les Mis is to effect change and that high school girls can't effect change....wow rude. I do love to read an opinionated article though, even if the opinion is not one I agree with. Anyways, thanks again to Sherb for sharing this with me! There are so many different archives online with materials in different languages, I would encourage anyone who is interested to check them out. When you find something really cool, an old article that probably hasn't been read in decades, it's an awesome feeling.

#les miserables #translation #les mis #censorship #lm in america #lm in education

[cartermagazine]

Today In History ‘Beloved,“ a novel by Toni Morrison about the agonizing remembrances of a former slave in post-Civil War Ohio, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction on this day March 31, 1988. Ms. Morrison’s work had been at the center of a controversy the previous year when it failed to win the prestigious National Book Award, and 48 black writers wrote an open letter in January of 1987-protesting that Ms. Morrison had never won that award or a Pulitzer. On March 29, 2023 a Virginia superintendent informed parents 14 books will be removed from school libraries this week due to sexual content. Spotsylvania County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Taylor cited Virginia law signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin last year that requires parents be notified about sexually explicit material. The 14 books, including Pulitzer Prize-winning “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, are among several dozen books challenged as instructional material by parent Jennifer Petersen who has appeared before the school board to express her concerns. CARTER™️ Magazine carter-mag.com #wherehistoryandhiphopmeet #historyandhiphop365 #cartermagazine #carter #tonimorrison #beloved #womenshistorymonth #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #history #staywoke https://www.instagram.com/p/CqcuZyUOGtk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#wherehistoryandhiphopmeet #historyandhiphop365 #cartermagazine #carter #tonimorrison #beloved #womenshistorymonth #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #history #staywoke