Three parents in the Mt. Lebanon School District are suing over lessons about gender identity in a first-grade class.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday, three mothers claim their constitutional right to have a say in the education of their children was violated. They're asking the court to ban discussions about "gender dysphoria and transgender transitioning" in the district or give parents the opportunity to opt out on behalf of their kids.
Carmilla Tatel, Stacy Dunn and Gretchen Melton accuse Megan Williams, a first-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary, of teaching her students about gender identity without parental consent, going against what they say is common district practice for sensitive or mature topics. The lawsuit claims the district had a history of notifying parents when a potentially complex topic would be discussed in class, such as the Holocaust, slavery, the 9/11 attacks, reproductive education, sex education, Black Lives Matter and Planned Parenthood.
According to the lawsuit, Williams included books in her lessons that focused on gender roles or identity, including "Jacob's New Dress" or "When Aiden Became a Brother." The books were allegedly not in the approved curriculum or cleared by parents.
The lawsuit claims Williams also told her students that sometimes "parents are wrong" and parents and doctors "make mistakes" when they bring a child home from the hospital.
In a statement, a district spokesperson said the lawsuit "contains various allegations that are untrue or based on partial truths that mischaracterize events for sensational effect."
The parents, however, also place blame on district leaders, saying they condoned the teacher's actions despite parents’ concerns. Superintendent Dr. Timothy Steinhauer, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Marybeth Irvin, principal Brett Bielewicz and the school board are also named as defendants.
The lawsuit also highlights other actions by Williams the plaintiffs considered concerning.
Williams allegedly did not require her class to say the pledge of allegiance each morning for the first 52 days of the school year. When parents brought their concerns to Bielewicz, he allegedly told them "the expectation of a daily pledge of allegiance has always been a standing practice" but "sometimes the morning gets away from Williams." The plaintiffs allege this was an intentional act by Williams showing she will "choose to express her agenda to the detriment of her students when she is able to get away with it."
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