Local
Md. school district pulls bullying curriculum with ‘ex-gay’ references
P.G. County approved materials last spring; developer ‘shocked’ by reversal
Prince Georgeās County Public Schools earlier this week stopped using an anti-bullying curriculum that included references to “ex-gay” organizations.
A 21-minute video the Washington Blade obtained from Christopher Doyle, director of the International Healing Foundation who developed the Acception curriculum, features four students who are assigned a project on anti-gay bullying.
The video contains a number of short clips that include a group of students ā one who receives the aforementioned assignment from his teacher ā who shout an anti-gay slur at a classmate before pushing him into a locker. Another features a group of students who use a cell phone to record a teenaged boy changing inside a restroom stall before gym class.
A black student who said her classmates bullied her because she is a lesbian discusses how she accepted her sexual orientation, while a Latina claims her āsexual feelings for girls gradually went away.ā Another clip features a gay teenager who said his former science teacher helped him come out to his parents and friends.
The video also includes cartoons of cavemen who explain the causes of bullying and a scientist discussing the science behind homosexuality to gay identical twins. One of the students who receives the assignment from his teacher also points out he has a cousin who said she became straight.
Both the curriculum and the website for Acception Productions, which produced it, lists Exodus International, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality and Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays among a list of resources for āquestioning and/or youth with unwanted same-sex attraction.ā
Doyle told the Blade the districtās School Health Committee unanimously approved the curriculum last spring. A source familiar with it who requested anonymity said a staff training took place on Oct. 18 and seventh grade health teachers had the option to use it with parental permission.
Briant Coleman, spokesperson for the Prince Georgeās County Public Schools, confirmed teachers first used it this school year. He said it was removed this week.
āWe reviewed the video that was being used by six of our middle school health teachers,ā Coleman said. āWe determined that there was not enough information about bullying prevention to justify using it as a supplemental resource for our anti-bullying program.ā
Doyle said the school district told him on Tuesday that it would no longer use his curriculum.
āThis really came to me as a shock,ā he said, noting he has yet to meet with district officials. āI donāt know exactly why theyāre pulling the video. All I know is the health education supervisor told me on Tuesday that the video was being pulled for further review because of the controversy surrounding some of the messages.ā
Doyle acknowledged Richard Cohen, whom the American Counseling Association permanently expelled in 2002, is the founder and former director of the International Healing Foundation. He stressed he had ānothing to do with the filmā other than āheās a colleague of mineā who told Betsy Gallun, who recently retired as supervisor of health education in the district, about it.
Cohen is a member of the Prince Georgeās County Public Schoolsā School Health Committee. Gallun is also listed as a āhealth education consultantā in the credits at the end of the Acception video.
āWe believe in true tolerance, real diversity and equality for all,ā Doyle said. āI love the entire LGBT community. I once lived a gay life. I have friends that are gay and lesbians.ā
He further stressed gay-specific references are āonly a small segmentā of the Acception curriculum.
āMost of the curriculum does not focus on sexuality at all,ā Doyle said. āThe film focuses on it, but only in the realm of sharing true stories of young people … whoāve experienced bullying because of their sexuality or non-acceptance.ā
This controversy is not the first time Prince Georgeās County Public Schools has faced questions over its connections to anti-gay officials.
The Blade reported in October that Christian Hope Ministries, Inc., the Beltsville church led by Bishop Harry Jackson, who campaigned against marriage rights for same-sex couples in Maryland and D.C., rented 35,000 square feet of office space to the school district. Copies of leases obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request indicate the church received more than $3.4 million in rental income from the Prince Georgeās County Public Schools from Sept. 2007 through Aug. 2012.
āAnybody involved with him [Cohen] we would consider an extremist,ā Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, told the Blade. āRichard Cohen personifies extremism in the ex-gay industry and Christopher Doyle was his close associate.ā
Virginia
Miyares joins efforts to fight Title IX changes
Republican Va. AG part of multi-state effort
BY NATHANIEL CLINE | Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has joined a multi-state effort to stop new Title IX rules from going into effect.
The list of new rules designed to protect victims of campus sexual assaults and the rights of LGBTQ students has come under attack by Republican attorneys general in several states.
Miyares called the changes a ādangerous overhaulā of Title IX, and said the new rules would negatively impact students, families and schools in the commonwealth. The ruling also comes after Gov. Glenn Youngkinās administration overhauled the commonwealthās transgender student policies.
āThe Biden administrationās unlawful rule would jeopardize half a century of landmark protections for women, forcing the administrationās social agenda onto the states by holding federal funding hostage,ā Miyares said in a statement. āThey are avoiding Congress and the constitutional process because they know it will not pass. We cannot roll back Title IX in the name of false equity.ā
Attorney generals from Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia have also signed onto the suit, which was filed in Tennessee. Separate lawsuits have been filed in other states, including Louisiana and Texas.
Title IX, which has undergone several transformations based on the political party in office, was created to address womenās rights and prohibits any federally funded school or education program from discriminating against any student based on sex since it was established in 1972.
The Department of Education said some differences compared to the previous version developed under the Trump administration, include protections against all sex-based harassment and discrimination, prohibits schools from sharing personal information, and supports students and families.Ā
Narissa Rahaman, executive director for Equality Virginia, said in a statement that the rule prevents opponents from weakening ācrucialā civil rights protections including for LGBTQ students by ensuring that pregnant and parenting students have a right to equal education opportunities, protecting student survivors and guaranteeing the rights of LGBTQ students to come to school as themselves without fear of harassment or discrimination.
āStudents across races, places, and genders prove every day that they can do great things, especially when there are strong Title IX protections in place, which is why the Biden administrationās updates to the Title IX rules are essential to ensure every student can thrive at school,ā said Rahaman.
The new rule is slated to take effect on Aug. 1 and will apply to complaints of alleged conduct that occurs on or after that date, according to the Department of Education.
Protections
While the ruling protects students and employees from all sex-based harassment and discrimination, it will also impact LGBTQ students and employees, including providing complete protection from sex-based harassment, and prohibiting schools from sharing personal information.
Schools must act āpromptly and effectivelyā to protect and treat all students and staff who make complaints āequitably.ā Schools must also provide support measures to complainants and respondents, and act to end any sex discrimination in their programs and prevent any recurrence.
The rule further clarifies the definition of āsex-based harassment,ā which means to treat someone unfairly because of their gender; and the scope of sex discrimination, including schoolsā obligations not to discriminate based on sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The federal agency said the changes will empower and support students and families by requiring schools to disclose their nondiscrimination policies and procedures to all students, employees, and other participants in their education programs so that students and families understand their rights.
The final rule also protects against retaliation for students, employees, and others who exercise their Title IX rights, and supports the rights of parents and guardians to act on behalf of their elementary school and secondary school children.
The rule also protects student privacy by prohibiting schools from disclosing personally identifiable information with limited exceptions, which is something the Youngkin administration has opposed.
Advocates say one of the rights students should have is the power to decide who finds out about their transgender status, to protect them from being bullied or harassed.
Virginia policies
In 2021, the first model policies for trans students were designed under former Gov. Ralph Northam to provide school officials guidance on the treatment of trans and nonbinary students and to protect the privacy and rights of these students.
However, some schools declined to adopt the model policies, and the state law that led to them lacked enforcement incentives or penalties.
The current policies adopted by the Youngkin administration were revised to require parental approval for any changes to studentsā ānames, nicknames, and/or pronouns,ā direct schools to keep parents āinformed about their childrenās well-beingā and require that student participation in activities and athletics and use of bathrooms be based on sex, āexcept to the extent that federal law otherwise requires.ā
Virginia schools have also not fully adopted the newly revised policies, and state law has not changed since the policies were overhauled in 2023.
The Virginia Department of Education faces two lawsuits over the policies adopted by the Youngkin administration.
āAll Virginia students, including our transgender and nonbinary students deserve to feel safe and welcomed at schools,ā said Wyatt Rolla, a senior trans rights attorney with the ACLU of Virginia. āAccessing restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities that are necessary when you are at school learning is a key part of our schools being inclusive of those transgender [and] non binary students that are part of our community.ā
Athletics not included
The provisions under the new Title IX rule did not mention anything about requiring schools to allow trans students to play on teams that align with their gender identity. Virginia has taken its own shot at banning trans athletes from competing in sports through legislation.
In February, the Youngkin administration attempted to challenge the Virginia High School Leagueās policy on transgender athletes, the Daily Progress reported.
The proposed policy would have matched with the administrationās current policies that students should be placed on teams based on their biological sex rather than their gender identity.
The Virginia High School League, which oversees interscholastic athletic competition for Virginiaās public high schools, allows for trans athletes to participate on teams that match their gender identity, but under certain conditions.
Simultaneously, lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly controlled by Democrats killed bills, including Senate Bill 68, during the previous session that would have essentially banned transgender students from competing in sports.
State Sen. Tammy Brankley Mulchi (R-Mecklenburg), who carried Senate Bill 723, said students like her 6-year-old granddaughter should have a choice to play with their own gender during a Feb. 1 Senate Education subcommittee hearing.
Mulchiās bill would have required schools and colleges to have separate sports for boys and girls based on their biological sex. Any dispute would require a note from a doctor.
āIf she [my granddaughter] wants to play an all-girl sport, I want her to play against girls that were born girls and not play against someone that is much stronger than her or can hurt her and take away her chances of a scholarship,ā Mulchi said.
However, state Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D-Fairfax) argued during the February hearing that whether students are competing with their respective biological sex or not āchildren of all ages, sexes have different builds and strengths and no children are alike on the same team.ā
******************************************************************************************
Nathaniel is an award-winning journalist who’s been covering news across the country since 2007, including politics at the Loudoun Times-Mirror and the Northern Neck News in Virginia as well as sports for the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. He has also hosted podcasts, worked as a television analyst for Spectrum Sports, and appeared as a panelist for conferences and educational programs. A graduate of Bowie State University, Nathaniel grew up in Hawaii and the United Kingdom as a military brat.
******************************************************************************************
The preceding article was previously published by the Virginia Mercury and is republished with permission.
Nonprofit. Nonpartisan. No paywalls. Fair and tough reporting on the policy and politics that affect all of us is more important than ever. The Mercury brings you coverage of the commonwealth’s biggest issues from a team of veteran Virginia journalists.
Weāre part of States Newsroom, the nationās largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: [email protected].
The Comings & Goings column also invites LGBTQ+ college students to share their successes with us. If you have been elected to a student government position, gotten an exciting internship, or are graduating and beginning your career with a great job, let us know so we can share your success.Ā
Congratulations to Manny Cosme, owner of CFO Services Group, who was named Small Business Owner of the Year, for Washington, D.C., by the Small Business Administration.Ā
SBA Administrator Isabel Castillas Guzman said, āOur 2024 National Small Business Week award winners exemplify excellence, innovation, and commitment, and the SBA is proud to showcase their incredible achievements and impact on their communities and our economy.ā Upon being notified of the award Manny said, “I am incredibly honored and humbled to receive the Small Business Owner of the Year award from the Small Business Administration. This recognition serves as a testament to my teamās hard work, dedication, innovation, and impact in our local community. As a small business owner, I have always strived to embody excellence in my companyās services and commitment to my clients. My team and I are proud to represent the thriving small business communities across the country, and we remain committed to driving innovation, growth, and positive change in our industry.”
Cosme is the founder and current president and CEO of CFO Services Group. The firm is focused on providing bookkeeping, outsourced accounting departments, and fractional CFO advisory services, to growing small businesses and non-profit organizations. The company is headquartered in D.C., with team members and clientele throughout the United States. In addition to working with private business and non-profit clients, CFO Services Group partners with various economic development agencies, such as local governments, chambers of commerce organizations, CDFIs and SBDC centers, to provide free financial literacy and technical assistance to businesses in underserved communities.
Manny has served as the Vice President of Finance & Administration for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He recently served as the Finance Chair for the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Vice President of the Equality Chamber of Commerce. He is often sought after in keynote discussions on entrepreneurism and finance for fellow business owners.
Maryland
What Anne Arundel County school board candidates think about book bans
State lawmakers passed Freedom to Read Act in April
BY ROYALE BONDS | Parentsā efforts to restrict content available to students in school libraries has become a contentious issue in Maryland. Conservative parent groups, such as Moms for Liberty, have been working to get books they believe are inappropriate removed from libraries in Carroll and Howard counties, sparkingĀ protests, new policies, and even aĀ state law.
The Freedom to Read Act, passed in April, sets standards that books cannot be removed from public and school libraries due to an authorās background. Library staff that uphold the standard are protected under this act. The law, however, does not prohibit removing books deemed āsexually explicit,ā the stated reason local Moms for Liberty chapters challenged school library books.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner website.