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Maine public school pays drag performer $1,000 to speak to LGBT students

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 09:17:02 -0400

A Maine public high school paid a gay drag performer $1,000 to speak to minors at a workshop, according to Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) documents.

Drag performer Dominick Varney, also known as "Priscilla Poppycocks," spoke to Bangor High School students on May 4 as part of the school’s "Support, Educate, Empower" series to "empower" LGBT students. The school confirmed to Fox News Digital that Varney did not attend in drag.

The school paid Varney and another performer, whose name was redacted from the FOAA documents, $1,000 each out of the school’s $15,000 grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, which aims to "advance racial equity in public education," according to its website.

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"We believe that applying a racial equity lens is essential for analyzing and solving problems that have endured for generations, impact individuals and communities of color most acutely, and ultimately affect ALL people, whether in other marginalized or privileged groups," the foundation listed second in its "Values" section under "Operate with a Race Equity Lens."

In the 90-minute workshop, titled "Make Them Hear You," Varney discussed "growing up gay in Maine."

"During our conversations together you will have some opportunities to experience some acting techniques and gain some first hand knowledge of how being different is the biggest advantage we all have to be successful in our lives," the flier for the event reads. "And most likely, you’ll hear him sing!"

Bangor High School is one of many public schools to promote radical gender ideology through drag queen events. Parents of first-graders at a popular Center City Philadelphia public school were outraged after they were notified of a drag queen story hour in their children’s classroom.

Students who attended the Bangor High School event, which took place during the school day, were excused from class from 12:30-2 p.m. Emilie Brand Throckmorton, an English teacher at Bangor High School and one of the event organizers, said in an email that students who seemed interested were invited to the catered workshop.

"I just know you are a role model for these kids, and we just want you to shine your light on them," Throckmorton wrote in the email to Varney.

Shawn McBreairty, the Maine father who uncovered the documents, said he is horrified Throckmorton called Varney a role model.

"This is a clear political message from these people running our schools that drag-performers are more important than the basics of education for our Maine students, which all Maine schools are failing at," McBreairty told Fox News Digital.

Director of Community Outreach and Safety Ray Phinney told Fox News Digital no taxpayer dollars were spent on the event.

Phinney said Varney "spoke to students from Q+, the Bangor High School LGBT organization, the Civil Rights Team, and their advisers about his experience moving from the United Kingdom to Maine and growing up as a gay youth in Winterport, Maine."

"Varney’s presentation focused on his extensive theatrical career, providing students with inspiration, skills, and professional development to lead and thrive authentically," Phinney said.

"Reflected within our ongoing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives, the Bangor School Department proudly supports students and their families in sharing their diverse and unique life experiences within the school community," Phinney told Fox News Digital.

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A spokeswoman from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, which funded the grant used to pay Varney, told Fox News Digital that Nellie Mae trusts its grantees to vet all speakers and vendors. Bangor High School applied for and received funding from the "Centering Joy: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Youth and their Allies" grant.

Throckmorton did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Varney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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In 2022, only 29 % of Maine students were proficient in reading and 24% were proficient at math, according to the Nation's Report Card.

"Parents need to realize what is happening and step forward and demand accountability and change," McBreairty said.

University of South Carolina education courses centered on 'social justice, anti-racism'

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 08:11:16 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The University of South Carolina’s College of Education prepares teachers to "dismantle" racism with "culturally responsive teaching," though a state budget proviso prohibits critical race theory instruction in public schools.

The College of Education supports teachers who "act as change agents to dismantle, eliminate, and replace institutional and individual injustices," a document obtained by Fox News Digital detailing the college’s goals for the future said.

The university’s education program commits to developing its students’ ability to "identify individual and systemic privilege, disenfranchisement, oppression, and silencing" while affirming students’ expertise regarding race, gender identification, sexual orientation, and more.

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Adam Mahdavi, a 2022 University of South Carolina graduate, said he felt the education faculty targeted White, straight, Christian males like himself.

"If you're vocal about your Christianity, conservatism, constitutional Republicanism, if you voice that out, you will be a target every single day," Mahdavi told Fox Digital. "And they'll try to make you want to quit."

The education college offers a number of courses that prepare future educators to integrate critical race theory into their classrooms.

A course preparing future middle school teachers to construct curriculum contains overarching themes of "social justice & antiracism," according to Mahdavi’s fall 2021 course syllabus.

"Antiracist education is a theory of learning and action to help us do the important work of dismantling racism in schools," the syllabus reads. "Given this, the course stands on the beliefs that teacher candidates should be reflective, responsive teacher-leaders who effectively address the inequities of policies, practices, and achievement related to race, gender, class, and linguistic differences."

The course, titled "Integrated Curriculum at the Middle Level," explores "culturally responsive teaching" to help sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade teachers understand how curriculum "acts as a gatekeeper to future opportunities for children from different ethnic groups and low socioeconomic backgrounds."

The syllabus claims the course content is consistent with USC education department’s mission, which includes preparing teachers "to be proficient in culturally relevant, anti-racist, pro-Black instruction; and to promote democratic principles and ideas within and across all educational settings."

The College of Education's mission statement was taken down from the website following Fox News Digital's inquiry and now goes to a 404 page.

The professor assigned students in the EDTE 522 course a "critical synthesis" project, where students identified the implications of bias, discrimination and educational inequities in a 10-12 minute podcast.

The rubric for the assignment names two themes: "anti-racism education as it relates to teaching and planning curriculum for middle level students" and "addressing issues of bias, discrimination, and educational inequities through integrated curriculum for middle level students."

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Another course, called "Antiracist Education," covers topics including "individual and institutional racism, overt and covert racism, curriculum, textbooks, power relationships, teacher-student relationships, and privacy."

A graduate-level class titled "Critical Race Theory in Education" is "a study of race and racism as the primary lens of analysis in educational, social, and political issues," according to the USC course catalog.

The "Schools in Communities" course teaches students to "analyze the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and sexuality and how it shapes the professional identity of teachers."

Students learn to "evaluate the impact of teachers and schools on marginalized communities schooling through historic, social, cultural, and philosophical lenses," according to Mahdavi’s Spring 2020 syllabus.

The course seeks to answer a number of questions on intersectionality and identity, including "What is race and racism;" "What are the past(s), present(s), and future(s) of school segregation and inequity;" and "How does sexuality and gender impact the experiences of teachers and student."

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Mahdavi wants parents to be aware of how their children’s teachers were trained. He said the University of South Carolina prepares teachers to circumvent South Carolina’s budget stipulation which prohibits critical race theory-derived ideas through the school funding process.

"They're very, very, very careful with their wording," he said. "They are experts at going around their elbows to get to their nose."

Associate Director of News and Internal Communications at the University of South Carolina Jeffrey Strensland told Fox Digital there is no mandatory DEI training, but did not respond to a request for comment about the College of Education curriculum.

Correction

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 16:45:10 -0400

Editor's note: This article inaccurately attributed a quote to former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and has been retracted.

Former Trump Cabinet member Betsy DeVos undecided on 2024 endorsement

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 01:50:58 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: Betsy DeVos – who served as head of the Education Department under former President Donald Trump – remains undecided on whom she will support in the 2024 race for the White House.

"She’s watching the race closely but has not yet made a decision on an endorsement," Nate Bailey, DeVos’ chief of staff, told Fox News Digital. "She’s very encouraged to see all of the candidates talking seriously about expanding education freedom and empowering parents."

DeVos, the 11th person to serve as the U.S. secretary of education from 2017 to 2021, was one of few Trump-era Cabinet members to maintain her post for his entire term in office.

As education secretary, the Michigan native championed school choice, arguing that parents should have the power to take tax dollars allocated for their child to different schools if their local public school doesn't meet their needs.

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DeVos touted Trump’s 1776 Commission as an alternative to the historically inaccurate 1619 Project, which pegs slavery as the foundation of American history.

But the former education secretary, now 65, has shown warmth to a number of other 2024 Republican candidates.

On May 31, DeVos appeared with former Vice President Mike Pence in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a conversation on what conservatives believe.

The DeVos family financially backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' gubernatorial campaigns. According to state campaign finance records, DeVos personally contributed $5,500 to a super PAC that backed DeSantis' reelection bid in April 2022.

DeVos continues to be an influential voice about American education. Last year, she released her best-selling book, "Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child," which covers critical race theory in education, COVID-19 pandemic school lockdowns and how to fix America’s schools.

Before serving as education secretary for the Trump administration, DeVos advocated for school choice, charter schools and free speech on campuses.

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She and her husband started All Children Matter in 2003 in support of voucher programs. In 2010, she helped found the school choice advocacy organization American Federation for Children.

DeVos and her husband founded the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation in 1989, which donated to charter and Christian schools, organizations supporting school choice, and various universities and arts foundations.

'Squad' Democrat strategizes with radical left-wing group whose members are under FBI investigation

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 09:26:47 -0400

Progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., participated in a strategy call with a climate alarmist group currently under FBI investigation.

Tlaib, a far-left member of the "Squad," joined a Zoom meeting last Sunday organized by three radical environmental groups — Declare Emergency, Climate Defiance and the Climate Emergency Fund — about their future plans to disrupt climate change.

"We are reaching climate tipping points faster than predicted," the call description read. "Fires, smoke, tornadoes, and unprecedented weather events are becoming commonplace as we experience climate breakdown. We cannot afford to wait a minute longer. Complacency is a luxury we choose to enjoy at our own peril."

The main focus of the call was to "galvanize the activist community," according to a spokesperson for the Climate Emergency Fund.

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The spokesperson noted in a statement to Fox News Digital that Tlaib "has no official connection to any of the groups on the zoom."

"America has a long tradition of non-violent protest that is an important part of our democracy," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "While the congresswoman has no official connection to any of the groups on the zoom, she is alarmed by the rapid changes to our climate. All Americans need to be using our voices to demand action."

Two members of Declare Emergency, a group that joined Tlaib on Sunday's call, are under investigation by the FBI’s Art Crime Team after vandalizing the protective box around Edgar Degas’ "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" statue at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in April. The FBI confirmed to Fox News Digital that the group was under investigation, but did not respond to a question about Tlaib being on the Zoom call.

The shocking protest caused $2,400 in damage and forced staff to remove "Little Dancer" from the gallery for 10 days in order to repair the display. The demonstrators, Timothy Martin of North Carolina and Joanna Smith of New York, will face up to five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.

Martin and Smith were indicted for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit on May 26. A court will determine their sentencing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors, according to a U.S. Attorney Office’s news release.

Climate Defiance, another one of the groups who coordinated the call, organized a fundraiser with the stated purpose of making "Complicit Climate Cowards' Lives F---ing Miserable."

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Climate Defiance protests have shut down a number of events, including a keynote addresses from Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and top Biden administration climate advisers.

The controversial climate groups are some of many left-wing organization's to partner with Tlaib, including with the Black Lives Matter Movement which has supported convicted cop killers, as reported by Fox News Digital in May.

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Tlaib has called on President Biden to declare a climate emergency, echoing the missions of the radical climate groups.

Tlaib's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment regarding the meeting.

Riley Gaines grand slams queer activist's Senate testimony that men can't beat Serena Williams

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:51:23 -0400

Former NCAA swim star Riley Gaines slammed the president of far-left Human Rights Campaign for denying the biological advantages of male athletes in a Wednesday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Kelley Robinson, who describes herself as the first queer, Black president of the Human Rights Campaign, claimed that tennis legend Serena Williams could beat men at the sport at the hearing on "Protecting Pride: Defending the Civil Rights of LGBTQ+ Americans."

"There's been this news article about men that think they can beat Serena Williams in tennis," Robinson said. "And it's just not the case. She is stronger than them."

Gaines, a University of Kentucky 12-time All-American swimmer who tied with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, immediately shut down Robinson's claim: "Both Serena and Venus lost to the 203rd ranked male tennis player."

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Fifty-year-old Karsten Braasch challenged and beat Serena Williams and Venus Williams back-to-back at the 1998 Australian Open after the sisters claimed they could beat any male player outside the world's top 200.

Serena Williams, a 39-time Grand Slam champion, has said male tennis player Andy Murray, a three-time grand slam winner, could beat her "6-0, 6-0 in 5 to 6 minutes."

"It’s true. It’s completely different sport," Williams told David Letterman in 2013. "The men are a lot faster, they serve harder, they hit harder. It’s a completely different game. I love to play women’s tennis. I only want to play girls because I don’t want to be embarrassed."

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Robinson told Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., she would "not definitively" say males have an athletic advantage over females.

The queer activist wasn't the only witness to deny biological reality at the hearing.

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Dr. Ximena Lopez, a pediatric endocrinologist who has provided transgender procedures to children for more than 10 years, said she could not answer if males are naturally stronger than women, saying she is not a sports medicine physician.

"As a medical professional, I don't have the scientific expertise to provide an opinion," she told Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, during the hearing.

South Carolina school district ends contract with company after GOP group sued over CRT

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:33:46 -0400

A South Carolina school district will end an agreement with an education company that has been accused of teaching critical race theory following a Carolina Freedom Caucus lawsuit.

The Freedom Caucus hailed a settlement with the Lexington County School District One as a win against critical race theory in education. The settlement requires the district to terminate its contract with EL Education after an employee was caught describing how to circumvent South Carolina's anti-CRT law, the Freedom Caucus said in a press release.

South Carolina has a budget stipulation which prohibits critical race theory-derived ideas through the school funding process. The school district denied in statements to Fox News Digital that it ever violated the law.

The settlement in the Lexington Court of Common Pleas requires the Lexington district, which contains 31 schools and more than 28,000 students, to fully comply with all South Carolina laws prohibiting CRT instruction and training for students, teachers, and other staff.

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"The terms of this settlement agreement show Lexington School District One was caught red-handed peddling the Left’s pernicious, racist nonsense," South Carolina Freedom Caucus vice chairman RJ May said. "This is a win for the Freedom Caucus, for parents, but most importantly, this is a win for students who will no longer be subjected to radical, liberal indoctrination by the District."

In October, the South Carolina Freedom Caucus obtained a five-minute recording of Tarika Sullivan, a professional development specialist for EL Education, saying the education non-profit has "allies" and "co-conspirators" who are willing to teach outlawed CRT concepts "even if [they] get in trouble."

Sullivan touted the tenets of CRT, including "culturally relevant pedagogy" and considering what "parts of your identity are privileged." EL Education works with a number of South Carolina schools in developing curriculum that "goes against mainstream teaching," she said.

"Antiracism" is "at the core" of EL Education's curriculum, its website says.

Freedom Caucus chairman Adam Morgan said the caucus will continue fighting for parents, teachers, and students. The Freedom Caucus is part of an ongoing lawsuit with the Charleston County School District for also teaching suspected CRT-derived ideas.

"Career politicians, afraid to take on the teacher unions and education establishment, gaslit parents across South Carolina when we filed this lawsuit by claiming CRT wasn’t in our classrooms," Morgan said.

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The Lexington County district's curriculum includes several books which promote critical race theory, according to the Freedom Caucus’ 31-page complaint.

According to the Freedom Caucus' lawsuit, students read "This Book is Anti-Racist" by Tiffany Jewell, which teaches children that "if you are white," one automatically has "internalized racial superiority," and "The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person," which states, "We have a White people problem." The school district denied that allegation in court.

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Teachers in the district have also conducted "privilege tests," in which White students were separated across a room from "oppressed" minority students, the Freedom Caucus complaint says.

"Despite the naysayers, the Freedom Caucus persevered, and won," Morgan said. "It’s time for our moderate Republican colleagues to support the conservative values the SCFC is championing."

Lexington County School District One released a statement stating it conducted an internal review of the EL Education curriculum and found no violations of state law, but pursued the settlement to avoid a lengthy legal battle.

"Contesting this lawsuit would have redirected district resources, including employees’ time and attention, as well as taxpayers’ dollars, away from our primary focus," said Dr. Gerrita Postlewait, superintendent of Lexington One.

"We owed it to our entire community to find a solution that did not involve a lengthy and costly legal battle and to affirm that our district is, in fact, in compliance with all state laws. We are proud of the high quality public education Lexington One educators provide, and we want to put this matter behind us so that schools may receive the benefit of our full support "

EL Education did not respond to Fox Digital's request for comment by time of publication.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that this was a settlement agreement and not a court order.

Blinken faces online backlash for saying US opposes 'Taiwan independence' from China: 'Bought and paid for'

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 16:50:32 -0400

Secretary of State Antony Blinken caused a stir on social media Monday for his comments on whether the U.S. supports "Taiwan independence" from China.

"We do not support Taiwan independence," Blinken said in a press conference following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. We continue to expect the peaceful resolution of cross strait differences. We remain committed to continuing our responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act including making sure Taiwan has the ability to defend itself."

Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokeswoman during the Trump Administration, sounded off on the Biden administration in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"The Biden Administration is acting needy and desperate," Ortagus said "They want to talk more than China does, and China knows it. So they are making us grovel. It's embarrassing."

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Blinken reiterated the United States’ support of the "One China" policy, causing backlash on Twitter.

"Weakness invites aggression," tweeted Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who serves on House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.

Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, noted the contrast between Biden’s previous stance on Taiwan, in which he said the U.S. would defend Taiwan in case of an "unprecedented" Chinese invasion.

"What a pivot from Biden’s previous comments from just months ago," Rugg tweeted. "What happened?"

Ari Hoffman of the Post Millennial said Blinken’s statements raise questions about the president’s relationship with China.

"If you want to know how deep Biden is in with China, here is your answer," he tweeted.

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"The worst foreign policy team ever," Fox News contributor Sara Carter said.

Senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council Michael Sobolik said Blinken is wrong to act like the U.S.-China relationship compares to the U.S. justice system.

"Appeals to universal rationality are wasted efforts," he said. "The only thing the CCP respects is power."

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"Bought and paid for," said Stephen Miller, contributing editor at Spectator World.

"We have no illusions about the challenges of this relationship. There are many issues on which we profoundly and even vehemently disagree," Blinken added. "The United States has a long history of successfully managing complicated relationships through diplomacy."

Blinken’s comment comes amid increased tensions between China and the United States related to Taiwan. Last week, Taiwan's air force scrambled fighter jets after a group of 10 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait for the second time in a matter of days.

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This month, the U.S. military released video of a close encounter between a Chinese navy ship and an American destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, and there have been several close calls between Chinese and U.S. military aircraft recently, including an air intercept by a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea in late May.

China considers self-ruling Taiwan its own territory and has raised the prospect of annexing it by force. The U.S. maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan even as it recognizes Beijing as the government of China.

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Pat Sajak staying on as board chair of conservative Hillsdale College

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 16:28:59 -0400

Pat Sajak's retirement from "Wheel of Fortune" will not mark his exodus from public life altogether.

The long-time game show host will remain the chair of Hillsdale College's Board of Trustees, a position he has held since 2019. He served as vice chair from 2003 to 2019.

"Hillsdale College is fortunate to have an even closer relationship with Mr. Sajak," Hillsdale College executive director of media relations and communications Emily Stack Davis told Fox News Digital. "Since 2019, we have benefited from his wisdom, intellect, and good humor as chairman of Hillsdale’s board of trustees."

Sajak has been an icon of radio and television for decades, Davis said. He hosted "Wheel of Fortune" for 42 years, starting shortly after the show premiered in 1975.

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"There are few things more intimate than appearing in the living rooms of countless Americans every evening," Davis said. "We know that he will be missed and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement."

Sajak shared the news of his retirement on Twitter on June 12.

"Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last," he said on Twitter.

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Davis said the Michigan liberal arts college hopes to maintain its relationship with the Sajak Family.

"We look forward to continuing our important work together and to what we are sure will be a bright future for Mr. Sajak and his family," she said.

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Youngkin condemns Loudoun County school board denying difference between males and females

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 11:16:38 -0400

The Loudoun County school board opposed an amendment to its Pride Month resolution which would have recognized biological differences between males and females, drawing criticism from Virginia's Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

School board member John Beatty proposed amending the Pride proclamation to add "whereas male bodies and female bodies are different, Loudoun County Public Schools recognizes the need for separate bathrooms to provide for privacy and safety."

He also proposed an amendment adding "whereas male bodies and female bodies are different Loudoun County Public Schools recognizes the need for separate sports leagues to provide fair competition."

Beatty said the amendments were important because the proclamation mentions Policy 8040, which says, "LCPS staff shall allow gender-expansive and transgender students to participate in such activities in a manner consistent with the student’s gender identity."

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Both of Beatty’s proposals failed to pass. Brenda Sherida, one of the board members who voted against Beatty’s proposals, said "the language proposed by Beatty is just the bastardization of what the proclamation states."

Beatty and Sherida did not respond to Fox Digital's requests for comment.

Virginia policy, which Youngkin established in 2022, requires students to use bathrooms and locker rooms in accordance with their biological sex.

Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter told Fox Digital the governor was clear in his 2022 draft model policies that he "expects bathrooms and locker rooms based on their biological sex."

"The Loudoun County school board's foremost concern should be protecting students after a sexual assault occurred in their bathrooms," Porter said. "On day one the governor ordered an investigation and following the Attorney General's probe, Superintendent Ziegler was fired and indicted."

The school board fired Scott Ziegler over a grand jury report accusing the district of failing to adequately respond to two reports of sexual assault involving the same biological boy raping female students in the girls’ bathroom.

The father of one of the girls claimed the district attempted to cover up his daughter's assault to push its former transgender bathroom policy.

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The proclamation naming June Pride Month for the fourth time in Loudoun County Public Schools history relies on surveys from GLSEN and the Trevor Project, which promote radical gender ideology in schools across the country.

GLSEN calls for gender ideology to be integrated into all classes, including math and science. It provides educators instructions on how they can make math "more inclusive of trans and non-binary identities" by including "they/them" pronouns in word problems.

GLSEN also provides sexually explicit books from its "Rainbow Library" and provides elementary teachers with lesson plans on the subject of gender identity and pronouns.

The Trevor Project provides a "Coming Out" handbook teaching minors that "sex assignment does not take into account one’s true gender identity."

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"Your true gender may be different than the gender that a doctor assigned you, which is perfectly normal, valid, and wonderful," the handbook says.

House Republicans file resolution condemning SPLC for 'disgusting' targeting of parental rights groups

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:59:51 -0400

House Republicans filed a resolution on Thursday condemning the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for placing parental rights groups like Parents Defending Education on its "hate map."

The SPLC added Moms for Liberty, Parents Defending Education, Army of Parents, No Left Turn in Education, and others to its "hate map" on June 6. Nine days later, Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., led House Republicans in "pushing back against the labeling of attempts by parents to ensure school curriculum and sports are age and sex appropriate as extreme," the Daily Signal first reported.

"I introduced this resolution because I’m sick and tired of far-left groups demonizing folks who are just standing up for their rights," McClain told Fox Digital. "I find it disgusting that an organization like Moms for Liberty could be labeled a hate group by SPLC because that’s simply not the case."

McClain said she hopes Congress adopts the resolution "to show America that we do not tolerate disparaging and radical rhetoric that’s aimed at benevolent groups."

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Nicole Niely, president of Parents Defending Education – which the SPLC accused of "vilifying those discriminated against" – said she appreciates McClain's resolution.

"We are grateful that members have spoken up in defense of families and parental rights and hope to see more members join this resolution in the weeks ahead," Neily told Fox Digital.

The SPLC’s 2022 "Hate and Extremism" report says parental rights groups have "grown into an anti-student inclusion movement that targets any inclusive curriculum that contains discussions of race, discrimination and LGBTQ identities."

The SPLC "hate map" has brought violence upon its designees in the past. In August 2012, a gunman attacked the Family Research Council, driven by the SPLC’s "hate map," with the mission to "kill as many people as possible."

The Thursday resolution in defense of the organizations argues "it is not extreme or hateful to believe that parents, not the government, should have the final say in their children’s education."

While "all students should feel welcome in their classroom," the resolution states, "radical far-left ideas inappropriate for minors should not."

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It is not hateful to "believe children as young as 6 should not be subject to discussion about sexual orientation or gender ideology in the classroom" or "believe biological men should not compete against biological women in sports," according to the proposed House resolution's text.

Neily urged Congress to investigate a potential connection between the Biden administration and the SPLC.

"While we at PDE have filed public records requests with the Department of Education for the calendars of Secretary Cardona and the Assistant Secretary of the Office for Civil Rights, responses to federal FOIAs are not produced quickly — and the American people deserve answers NOW about whether the latest iteration of this ‘hate map’ was done at the behest of federal officials," she said.

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Republican co-sponsors of the resolution include Reps. Brian Babin and Keith Self of Texas; Jeff Duncan of South Carolina; Daniel Webster of Florida; Mary Miller of Illinois; and Clay Higgins of Louisiana.

The SPLC did not respond to Fox Digital’s request for comment.

California teacher suspended for allegedly targeting White students on basis of race, gender

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 18:48:22 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: A San Francisco school district suspended a teacher for discriminating against White male students, according to California Public Records Act documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

Nicole Noel Henares allegedly asked White male students in her high school English class to stand up and answer if they "felt like a minority" during the 2022 fall semester.

Henares’ actions made the Lowell High School students feel "confused, sad and that there was no correct answer for them in that moment," they said in interviews with the district.

After a parent submitted a complaint, the San Francisco Unified School District placed Henares on paid administrative leave, starting Sept. 15, 2022, to conduct an investigation before assigning her Dec. 12 to a 15-day unpaid suspension to be served Dec. 13 to Jan. 12.

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The San Francisco Unified School District did not respond to Fox Digital's question about whether Henares is still employed by the high school, but Henares' LinkedIn lists her as an SFUSD high school English teacher.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) wants states to discard literacy standards and incorporate teachings of "race, antiracism, anti-Blackness, and LGBTQIA+" in K-12 classrooms.

The world’s largest education-content publisher made a commitment to "embedding anti-racism" in teaching and learning."

Henares’ singling out of the students was "in no way related to the class content," the students said in interviews during the district’s investigation. Students also confirmed the use of inappropriate materials in Henares’ class, including the sexually explicit Lil Nas X song "Montero."

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The teacher allegedly admitted to singling out the White male students "out of frustration and anger" in investigative interviews Oct. 14 and Nov. 10. She claimed the students dominated the class conversation, pushing her to single them out, but the students present denied this.

Henares denied teaching the Lil Nas X song, though the district found the song to be downloaded on Google Classroom in two different places, and multiple students confirmed she taught the profane pop song.

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Henares began working for the district in October 2020. She did not respond to Fox Digital's request for comment.

Influential teacher group pushes CRT memo, teaching of 'race, antiracism, anti-Blackness and LGBTQIA' in K-12

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:04:46 -0400

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) wants states to discard literacy standards and incorporate teachings of "race, antiracism, anti-Blackness, and LGBTQIA+" in K-12 classrooms.

The influential K-12 organization, with more than 25,000 members, released a report in May to promote "Culturally and Historically Responsive Education" as an alternative curriculum to current English instruction in the pursuit of anti-racism and anti-oppression.

Gholnecsar Muhammad, a University of Illinois professor and the author of the report, wrote that having education standards enforces projections that "come from those who design curriculum absent of Black and Brown lives," and therefore suggested a new form of learning be incorporated into schools.

Culturally Responsive Education would focus on teaching "pursuits," one of which is to encourage America's youth to "understand power, oppression, antiracism, and other anti-oppressions," in classrooms as young as pre-kindergarten.

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The NCTE report claims educators have taught literacy from a "white male perspective" since the 1600s, pointing to the "New England Primer," one of the first literacy textbooks written in the 17th century, that the organization says included "centered whiteness and white representation, including white characters and white culture, neglecting to offer diversity."

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NCTE also claimed the famous textbook was "apolitical" and "did not offer opportunities for children to understand race, gender, class, sexuality, or diverse religions."

The report attempts to shift gears toward a new way of teaching in K-12 schools by encouraging English teachers to take a number of classes aimed at "unpacking their ideologies, bias, and internalized oppression."

The NCTE claimed teachers should show their understanding of people of color by teaching "equity, power, control, justice, freedom, (mis)representation, oppression, exploitation, marginalization, empowerment."

"As long as inequities and oppressions exist in the world and society, we need literacy instruction that nurtures students’ identities and criticality in equal value to the teaching of skills," Muhammad wrote. "Our violent, oppressive, and tumultuous times demand that we teach students in equitable ways."

While many observers suggest critical race theory is not being taught in many American classrooms, researchers at the Manhattan Institute conducted a study that found that 90% of students ages 18 to 20 have heard at least one CRT concept from a teacher or adult at school.

About 57% of students reported being taught or hearing that "white people have unconscious biases that negatively affect nonwhite people," 67% that "America is built on stolen land," and 69% that "white people have privilege."

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The NCTE did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment regarding the report.

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.