Magic City Acceptance Academy, a state and federally funded charter school, has made its "mental health services" a cornerstone of its existence, touting specialized services for vulnerable and at-risk teens at every public appearance and repeatedly accusing its opponents of seeking to harm its students' mental health. That commitment is now under scrutiny as lawmakers take a closer look at the school's mental health "professionals."
The school, which began and was recognized nationally as one of the nation's first LGBTQ+ charter schools, was recently granted a five-year charter expansion by current Republican-appointed members of the state's charter school commission. It is now seeking to expand its campus to a second building and increase its enrollment cap by 50-100 students.
"The mental health staff are exceptional and are imperative for our students," the school explained in its pending application.
In a recent video, AJ Connor, one of those mental health professionals, was spotlighted and interviewed, getting more time on screen than anyone else. In the interview, he sat in his office wearing a pink beret and his MCAA staff ID on a lanyard decorated with three buttons indicating his "preferred pronouns": she/he/they.
"For me, it took me a little bit longer to bloom and to accept my gender identity and sexuality..." Connor explained in a promotional video for the school before the video cut to the school CEO, Dr. Karen Musgrove. Connor's name was misspelled in the video as "Conner," however, it is spelled correctly in the school's handbook, which matches his private social media pages, including Instagram and LinkedIn.
A few moments later, it cuts to the State Rep. Neil Rafferty (D-Birmingham) and the school's principal, who again emphasizes the school's commitment to "mental health."
"We're a smaller environment. We are focused on mental health. We're focused on restorative practices. We just do things a little bit differently," Dr. Patton Furman says before the video goes back to Connor, who again notes the school's emphasis on mental health.
"Currently, MCAA mental health staff include [sic] a Mental Health Services Coordinator (1), Case manager/ Social Worker (3), Associate Licensed Counselor in collaboration with JBS Mental Health Authority," the application for additional space for services explained, "It is the goal of MCAA to expand our social work staff for each grade." The school currently serves grades 6-12. Although the pending application does not request an additional grade level, the school told the Homewood City Council that it is considering expanding to 5th grade.
In a personal social media account from 2020 that was easily found through a search of his name, Connor, whose bio reads, "your favorite fagg*t" in French, posted about personal drug use, including a video that showed him in a two-piece swimsuit ingesting something. In this post, he wrote that he was high, alongside sexually explicit and profane posts and comments.
The personal account was set to private after 1819 News' inquiries to lawmakers, education officials and the school regarding the content. Several lawmakers told 1819 News they will look into staffing, while the school's principal did not return a phone call or respond to a detailed email asking what vetting occurred prior to Connor's hiring and whether he met the school's standards and mental health services.
1819 News reviewed state records and found no evidence that Connor was licensed as a social worker. His social media, again listing his pronouns as she/he/they, indicates that he earned a 2024 degree in social work from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"One thing you'll notice, especially with the kiddos here, is usually it'll be a hair color change. That's kind of like, that kind of signifies that there's been like a switch...," Connor explained in the promotional video.
The student/parent handbook elaborates on the mental health services the school offers and the role of social workers, with a stunning note about students who are suicidal or self-harming.
"The Magic City Acceptance Academy Wellness Suite offers individual consultations and check-ins to students as well as small groups. The Wellness Suite aims to teach students about self-control and self-esteem with evidence-based research. These services are not intended for psychiatric diagnosis or medical treatment for any mental health disorder. Parents, guardians, and students will be provided additional resources if they are in need of treatment," the handbook says.
"In compliance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) ethical responsibilities, the school social worker will keep information confidential. This does not apply when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to a client or others," it elaborates.
"If a threat of suicide is reported, the mental health counselor is authorized to inform the student's parent or guardian of the report. However, if the threat of suicide is a result of child abuse or other significant harm from a parent or guardian it will be at the discretion of the school principal or the principal's designee to inform student guardian," the handbook says.
The school's application for expansion will rest with the charter school commission. While the commissioners themselves may have approved the expansion, their appointing authorities have grown weary of the school's continued controversial day-to-day management, declining enrollment, and abysmal testing scores.
Editors Note: This story was updated to include a copy of the promotional video which has since been moved to private.
The commission will take up the expansion at its meeting next month in Montgomery.
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