Conservative Parent Group To Host Rally In Southington Over HS Diversity Glossary

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A conservative parent group angry a high school worksheet was distributed to sophomore Southington High School English students on how to address gender and racial terminology in their writing is planning a show of force Thursday.

The organization "Families for Freedom" will host a rally at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Southington Municipal Center, 200 N. Main St., Southington.

That event will precede a regular Southington Board of Education meeting slated for 7 p.m. that same night and location.

The item being debated addressed several issues that have divided the nation along political, gender and racial lines.

Items raised in the worksheet included "white privilege," "indigenous peoples," "transgender" people, "institutional racism," gender pronouns, the "Latinx" term and other terms dividing liberals, who contend its about diversity, and conservatives, who call it 'woke' culture.

The worksheet, which was a writing style sheet, addressed those terms' definitions and proper ways students can include those terms in their writing.

The worksheet's genesis is from the University of Arizona and it's called “Vocabulary for Conversations about Race, Gender, Equality and Inclusivity.”

But that writing tool has parents, some school board members and some students up in arms.

They claim it's actually teaching "critical race theory," namely the assertion white people, historically, have oppressed other populations in its history.

Critics of CRT contend this philosophy demonizes white people.

"Families for Freedom" blasted the worksheet in a post on Facebook earlier this month.

"Why would a 10th-grade English II (Accelerated) teacher be pushing for discussions about gender ideologies and components of CRT," wrote "Families for Freedom."

The group said high schools should not address "systemic racism, white privilege" and "what white people have done."

"Families for Freedom" said the teacher is "guilting students into believing that they are responsible if they are currently upholding the systems that elevate white people over people of color."

The organization said the glossary is the controversial "critical race theory" opposed by some.

"This is the exact type of material that Southington parents have been told over and over again was not being taught in their child's classroom by the chairwoman of the BOE and other members of the administration," wrote Families for Freedom.

Rally organizers are also encouraging concerned parents to attend the school board meeting after the rally.

They said they want to "work together" with school board members and administrators to prevent "rogue teachers with agendas from teaching materials outside of the curriculum."

This, "Families for Freedom" said, is "so that parents can be confident that their children are being educated and not indoctrinated while in the public school system."

The controversy, which started when a student expressed concerns to a school counselor after the first day of school Sept. 1 and mushroomed into a local social media frenzy, went further viral in recent days and weeks as Fox News and Newsmax, along with local TV stations, have reported on the flap.

School officials are currently investigating whether the teacher violated school board-approved curriculum in distributing the glossary and the teacher could face penalties if it is deemed as such.

Southington Superintendent of Schools Steven Madancy said he hopes the rally and school board meeting will feature civil discourse and the issue can, eventually, be resolved.

"As for the rally that is planned, the district welcomes the involvement and voice of our families emphasizing the importance of respectful and civil discourse leading to optimal outcomes for all our students," Madancy said in a statement.

"As for claims of indoctrination, that is a term being used across the nation right now within public education when certain topics or issues are discussed. Some families are advocating that educators expose their students to controversial issues while others advocate that those discussions be left to families.

"It is my hope that we eventually find common ground as I worry about the stress this is causing our students, teachers and families."

For the "Families for Freedom" Facebook page, click on this link.

From Sept. 15: 'Southington Teacher Behind Pro-Diversity Worksheet May Face Discipline'