Parents Outraged at School Board Meeting Over Graphic LGBTQ Images in Elementary School-Aged Book
Parents in Penfield, NY are outraged over a controversial book accessible to children as young as the age of five. It's about a little girl who attends an LGBTQ pride parade and it reportedly includes pictures of naked people and men in bondage fetish gear.
"The Rainbow Parade" currently sits in the library of Cobbles Elementary School in Penfield.
Post about the book alleged the material was brought home from school by a kindergartner, but Jennifer Selever says her fifth-grade daughter actually brought the book home in December.
A kindergartner … https://t.co/OGKawa7RmS
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"This is soft pornography. It's inexcusable why it's in the system for elementary school kids and I want it gone," Selever told Spectrum News 1.
The mom said she doesn't take issue with the story – which is about a young girl who is apprehensive about joining an LGBTQ parade with her two moms – but rather the images illustrated in the book.
"My problem is with the photos," she said. "I don't care if it's a heterosexual book. If you have explicit photos in a book for an elementary school kid, it's not excusable. It shouldn't happen. They shouldn't be in there."
Selever points out the most troubling parts, "You could see here this is the BDSM attire with a chain and leather straps. And this is the naked image. This one, the man is naked. He has balloons in front of his private parts. This one here, I don't know if it's a woman or a drag queen, but breasts are hanging out."
Selever was joined by a host of parents last week who called on the Penfield Central School District to remove the book from the school's library shelves.
"Your main topic is to talk about gender fluidity with these kids and ideology when they are underperforming and their academic achievements are down. It's time to get back to education, not indoctrination," she told the board at the start of the meeting.
But instead of school board members being open to hearing from Selever and other concerned parents, they shut them down.
Video of the meeting last week captures School Board President Dr. Emily Roberts telling parents that they have to follow protocol saying, "We have the policy in place. The procedures in place to object [to learning materials]."
Some in the crowd disrupted Roberts and the board immediately called a recess and left without hearing public comments.
Since then, board members have reportedly said they are open to hearing from parents and removing the book from shelves, but say there is a process that must be followed.
"The regulation helps us with acting out, following thorough," Superintendent Tasha Potter told WHAM-TV. "It's the 'how' of the policy."
She said that she has to designate a review committee that will review objections. For now, they have put a pause on public comment through March and April to "restore our environment."
Formal objections have now been filed with the school district, but Roberts said, "Until a final decision has been made, challenged instructional materials remain in use and/or circulation."
CBN News has reached out to Penfield Central School District for comment. We will update this story when we get a response.
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