Auburn High School parents are concerned after a school administrator appears to have posted on the school's online platform encouraging students to wear a transgender ribbon in support of Monday's so-called Transgender Day of Visibility.
Screenshots of a message posted to the Schoology software were provided to 1819 News. The message was posted for Auburn High School students, telling them to pick up a ribbon supporting Monday's Transgender Day of Visibility on the preceding Friday.
It reads: "Attention AHS!! Anyone who would like a ribbon to wear in support of Transgender Day of Visibility this Monday, March 31, please stop by the EDUCATE-GSA Club table in the hallway outside of the AHS Cafeteria TODAY (Friday, March 28) during all lunch waves!!"
The current AHS Student Handbook does not have a comprehensive list of its student organizations' goals. However, a previous student handbook describes the club in the following way:
"EDUCATE is a GSA and LGBTQ+ Alliance, providing a safe environment to support diversity, help students initiate dialogue and break stigmas, raise money for organizations, and help spread awareness and compassion within the school and community."
The current student handbook requires student organizations to do the following:
- Have annual student interest and attendance that justifies the formation or reformation of the group.
- Have an employee of the district act as sponsor for the duration of the school year.
- Have annual approval by the school principal.
- Have accurate, current, and complete documentation and reporting throughout the school year.
Attempts to contact school officials about the origin of the post on Friday were unsuccessful. However, AHS parents who spoke to 1819 News stated that only school administrators can post on Schoology.
Both parents and grandparents of AHS students expressed anger at the school for encouraging students to participate in something perceived as inherently political.
One of those displeased with the message was Donna Skipper, president of the Republican Women of East Alabama.
"As a grandmother and citizen of Auburn, it saddens me that Auburn High School seems to support 'Transgender Day,'" Skipper said. "Rather than focusing on the basics of education, administrators have given in to woke ideology, bowing to the pressure of liberals that want to radically change our society. As one that cares about the future of America, I am hopeful that our community will not adjust its standards so that conduct once thought reprehensible is no longer deemed so."
One parent, who spoke to 1819 News on the condition of anonymity, said the school administration was blatantly violating the trust of students and parents by encouraging all students to participate in something that only applies to a few.
"I don't really like supporting and promoting that," they said. "It's something that elevates a small, small minority of students. And that elevation makes the majority of students, at least, uncomfortable."
Parents also said they could not recall the Schoology app being used to promote other student organizations, saying that some parents have been responsible for significant transgender activism within the school.
"I really don't think it's the school's place," one parent said. "Maybe this was a one-off. But still, why choose this to promote? What's so special about this? I do know there's a parent of a transgender-identifying kid in the school system, and that parent just promoted and encouraged and was just the squeakiest wheel. They really just seemed to want attention. So I don't know if this is something the school was prodded into doing or if they took it on themselves."
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