A school board meeting descended into chaos during an argument over an LGBTQ pride book that was made available to children in kindergarten.
The book, titled ‘The Rainbow Parade’, illustrates a young child and her two moms attending a pride parade together, where they see men in bondage holding hands and a near naked person walking the streets alone.
Outraged parents from Penfield Central School in New York attended a board meeting on Tuesday night in an effort to voice their concerns, but were shut down by officials who refused to listen.
‘If you think that that’s appropriate for children to see, then there’s something wrong with you,’ parent John Feathers fumed.
‘You need to have a mental evaluation. There’s no reason that should be in the schools whatsoever at all.’
He noted that one page of the book shows a ‘butt is clearly out.’
‘And then if you go over on this side of the picture, there’s two guys standing in bondage right there.’
Superintendent Tasha Potter was confronted by boos and shouting from parents gathered in the crowd as she conducted the meeting.
Outraged parents from Penfield Central School in New York attended a board meeting on Tuesday night in an effort to voice their concerns, but were shut down by officials who refused to listen
On one page of the book, a near naked person walks the street alone, as a child with her two moms watches on
In another page, two men appear to wear bondage outfits while holding hands (to the right of the image)
‘We have the policy in place. The procedures in place to object [to learning materials],’ she said.
Parents began shouting their concerns from the crowd as she said: ‘That is not how you object.’
‘We will ask people who cannot do that to be removed. We are here at our board meeting. We’re conducting out business.’
That comment sparked outrage from the crowd, who booed Potter and the rest of the board as they got to their feet and walked out of the room.
‘It’s our board meeting,’ one parent shouted over the chorus of boos.
The board were called ‘chickens’ and ‘cowards’ as they left.
‘The school board is just leaving. They’re just leaving,’ one outraged parent said. ‘How do you just leave a school board meeting with a packed room?’
Another parent said the book was sent home with her grade five student, but it is available in the library where students in kindergarten have access to it.
The book is reportedly available in the library for children in kindergarten, and there have been claims that it was ‘sent home with’ a child in kindergarten and another in grade five
The board walked out of the meeting when they were confronted by furious parents
But other parents said there was nothing offensive about the book.
Parent Maggie Rex told NBC she found it ‘completely inoffensive.
‘There are many, many parents in this district who really believe that a safe and welcoming environment for our kids is an incredibly important aspect of their educational freedom,’ she said.
