Pennsylvania dad to school board: Don’t put our kids on ‘the front lines’ of gender debate
Anthony King made the impassioned plea at an Aug. 19 school board meeting for the Eastern Lancaster County School District in New Holland, Pennsylvania, after his son’s school assigned a non-binary teacher to his kindergarten classroom.
“I’m here today to share our concerns with our son’s long term kindergarten substitute teacher,” he told the board members. “Thursday night, at the kindergarten meet and greet, my wife and I were startled to find that our assigned substitute teacher is a ‘non-binary,’ or ‘transgender’ person.”
Popular X account Libs of Tik Tok posted audio of the interaction online, causing it to go viral.
The father goes on to say that while he harbors no “ill will” or “contempt” for the teacher, the transgender ideology goes against his family’s core religious beliefs.
“We love everybody for the God-given person they are. And, they probably just want to live their life and may have no agenda at all. However, my faith and my beliefs inform me that a transgender, or a non-binary, lifestyle goes against the moral values that we’re teaching our children. We don’t want them exposed to that in a classroom by a teacher they’re supposed to look up to.”
Despite assurances, he expressed skepticism, envisioning scenarios in which his child could be forced to accept and even adhere to ideas that run contrary to those deeply held beliefs, even inadvertently.
“I’ve been told that teachers agree to keep their personal beliefs out of the classroom discussions,” he said. “But I have serious doubts that in a kindergarten setting with inquisitive children asking unfiltered questions that this hot button topic won’t just happen organically.
“For example, where will this teacher use the restroom, and will the kids notice if it conflicts with the gender they portray that day? Will they be the same gender every day, or will it be different from one week to the next? Will my son be required to use preferred pronouns, giving further validation to something outside of a person’s true biological sex?”
Ultimately, he says, the issue drove his family to take their child out of the school to shield them from such exposure. He implored other parents to do the same.
“I’m here to protect my innocent children from the confusion that will surely come, when at such a young age, they’re faced with a twisted ideology that boys can be girls, or that you can decide to be something that you’re not, that’s different than your God-given biological sex.
“So, unfortunately, we’ve decided to pull our student and seek an alternative until his regular teacher returns. And, I would also encourage other parents, if you’re uncomfortable, follow your gut and do what’s right for your child.”
In conclusion, the father asked the board to do whatever it can to help keep children out of the larger debate adults are having on the issue.
“I want to urge members of the board, please consider any legal options available to protect our elementary learners. There should be robust policies in place to prevent our most innocent from being pushed to the front lines of one of the most heated and complicated issues of our time.”