In 2007, when Hillary Clinton was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/us/politics/26DEBATE-TRANSCRIPT.html">asked</a> in a Democratic primary debate whether she would be comfortable having “King and King” — a children’s picture book about a prince who marries another man — read to her second-grade child as part of the school curriculum, she responded that it was a “matter of parental discretion.”
It’s remarkable how far off the deep end the Left has gone in just a few short years.
This week, the Supreme Court will <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_calendars/MonthlyArgumentCalApril2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hear a case</a> brought by a group of parents claiming what Clinton argued years ago: Parents should be able to decide whether or not their children read LGBTQ storybooks at school.
Oral arguments will be heard for the parental rights case Mahmoud v. Taylor, which <a href="https://becketfund.org/media/religious-parents-ask-supreme-court-to-restore-opt-outs-for-pride-storybooks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">originated</a> when the Montgomery County Board of Education introduced LGBTQ storybooks to the elementary school curriculum and revoked its existing parental notice and opt-out policies. Muslim, Jewish, and Christian parents challenged the school district’s ban on elementary school opt-outs on the grounds that the policy burdened their constitutional right to free exercise of religion.
The diverse coalition of parents isn’t asking the school district to remove the LGBTQ storybooks from classrooms. They simply want the option to remove their children from the classroom when content is taught that conflicts with their religious beliefs. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and that vocation doesn’t stop when kids begin to attend school.
The board of education added storybooks that introduce gender ideology and sexuality to children as young as three or four years old. These storybooks are transparently part of an activist push to introduce children to same-sex relationships, transgender ideology, and LGBTQ vocabulary at a startlingly young age.
“Born Ready” features a female main character who repeatedly claims, “Inside, I’m a boy,” and whose parents immediately start treating her like a boy. “Not everything needs to make sense. This is about love,” Penelope’s mom tells her confused older brother. The book’s author, Jodie Patterson, serves on the board of the Human Rights Campaign, a radical LGBTQ advocacy group.
Another book in the Montgomery County curriculum, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">titled</a> “My Rainbow,” is about a transgender-identifying boy’s desire to have long hair to fit in with “cisgender girls.” Trinity Neal, a transgender-identifying boy, and his mother, DeShanna, a nonbinary activist, wrote the story based on their experiences. DeShanna <a href="https://history.delaware.gov/lgbtq/my-rainbow-and-trinity-neals-rainbow-wig/">advocated</a> for Medicaid coverage of Trinity’s puberty blockers, resulting in the first Medicaid coverage of transgender medical procedures in their home state of Delaware. Subsequently, Trinity <a href="https://history.delaware.gov/lgbtq/my-rainbow-and-trinity-neals-rainbow-wig/">became</a> the first minor in the state to change his birth certificate’s gender marker from male to female.
“Jacob’s Room to Choose,” about a cross-dressing boy whose school accommodates him by abolishing gendered bathrooms, was <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">published</a> through the American Psychological Association’s children’s book imprint. APA has prominently <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/02/policy-supporting-transgender-nonbinary#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAPA%20also%20affirms%20the%20essential,appropriate%20youth%20self%2Dadvocacy.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supported</a> transgender medical procedures for minors and advocated for so-called “gender-affirming care.”
The other books at the heart of Mahmoud v. Taylor are similarly written at an elementary school reading level but focus on complex adult topics of sexuality and gender identity. “Love, Violet” <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">focuses</a> on a same-sex relationship between elementary school classmates. “Pride Puppy” <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">instructs</a> readers to identify leather, underwear, a lip ring, an intersex flag, and a drag king in its illustrations.
“What Are Your Words?” <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">encourages</a> kids to change their pronouns, promoting confusing pairs like “ey/em,” “ze/zir,” and “xe/xir,” and using they/them pronouns to refer to individuals in the story. And “Intersection Allies,” another book <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">featured</a> in the case, includes a foreword by critical race theorist and activist Kimberle Crenshaw.
These storybooks are examples of radical propaganda written by progressive activists to shape the hearts and minds of the next generation. Kids may not know better than to believe what they’re taught, but American adults aren’t so convinced by these woke storybooks. Only 3% of Americans <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20250115160612/Religious-Freedom-Index-2024-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe</a> that instruction on human sexuality and gender identity is appropriate for pre-K or kindergarten-aged children. And 77% of Americans <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20250115160612/Religious-Freedom-Index-2024-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe</a> that parents should be able to opt their children out of gender and sexuality instruction.
Just a few years ago, I pulled my children out of Fairfax County Schools because of the progressive garbage they were being exposed to in their classrooms on a daily basis. My family is not alone. There is a large movement of parents who have made the same decision we have, but not every family is in a position to do so. Parents should undoubtedly have the right to opt their children out of reading these radical activist storybooks: Children are not wards of the state.
When public schools add storybooks that teach gender ideology as truth, the state has violated the right of parents to raise their children in their religious tradition, along with teaching them the corresponding religious beliefs about gender, human sexuality, and the meaning of marriage.
The government has no business mandating that elementary students learn radical gender ideology. Fortunately, parents will do whatever it takes to protect their children and exercise their parental rights — even if it means taking the case to the Supreme Court.
* * *
Terry Schilling is a parental rights advocate and president of the American Principles Project.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Mixed race teacher reading to class

Will SCOTUS Back Parents When It Comes To LGBTQ Storybooks?

Books

Children

Education

Gender

gender ideology

LGBTQ

Opinion

Parental Rights in Education

Parenting

Public Schools

Schools

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

Baltimore&#8217;s public school district is going on a hiring spree while student enrollment plummets and test scores remain in the basement.
Baltimore City Public Schools inflated its number of employees by nearly 19% over the six years between 2018 and last year, according to Maryland State Department of Education data <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/employee-hiring-surges-in-baltimore-schools-as-student-enrollment-plummets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analyzed</a> by Fox 45&#8217;s Project Baltimore, an investigative initiative on the city&#8217;s floundering schools.
The school district hired 1,714 more staffers while the number of students plummeted by 4,781 or 6%, the data show.
It wasn&#8217;t mostly teachers the district hired, either.
Over those six years, the district hired 992 more teachers, about a 15% increase, but it also hired 721 non-teaching staff such as administrators, a 28% increase, the analysis found.
Last school year, the Baltimore City school district had 10,874 employees for 75,811 students, about 6.9 students per staffer.
&#8220;This pattern reveals that the government school system has become more of a jobs program for adults than an education initiative for kids,&#8221; school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis told The Daily Wire.
DeAngelis noted that 40% of Baltimore high schools had zero students <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/at-13-baltimore-city-high-schools-zero-students-tested-proficient-on-2023-state-math-exam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">score</a> proficient on the 2023 state math exam.
Meanwhile, Baltimore&#8217;s public school superintendent <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/baltimore-city-schools-ceo-total-compensation-hits-479000-sonja-santelises-jackie-wlliams-josh-civin-christopher-doherty-lynette-washington-naep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">makes</a> $479,672 a year, more than the president of the United States, DeAngelis pointed out.
&#8220;These failure factories don&#8217;t give a damn about the kids,&#8221; DeAngelis said. &#8220;These overpaid administrators are leeches that extract funding away from the classroom and the kids they&#8217;re supposed to serve. Baltimore needs real accountability from the bottom-up with school choice. Families must be able to vote with their feet to schools that work best for their kids. Only then will the school system cater to the needs of children and their families as opposed to the other way around.&#8221;
School choice critics often complain that failing inner city public schools are under-funded and simply need more resources to help low-income children thrive academically.
However, Baltimore spends far more per pupil than other large city school districts whose students perform better.
Baltimore City spends $18,272 tax dollars per student, according to last year&#8217;s census, Fox 45 <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/employee-hiring-surges-in-baltimore-schools-as-student-enrollment-plummets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Meanwhile, Albuquerque, New Mexico&#8217;s, school district spends $12,964 per pupil and the Austin, Texas, district spends $12,492. Both outperform Baltimore students in every category, such as 4th and 8th grade math and reading, on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, called the &#8220;Nation’s Report Card.&#8221;
&#8220;City Schools has made targeted investments in hiring qualified staff — from classroom teachers and counselors to literacy coaches and early childhood educators,&#8221; the district <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/employee-hiring-surges-in-baltimore-schools-as-student-enrollment-plummets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;We know that students thrive when they are supported by caring adults, and when schools are fully staffed and resourced. There is more work to do, but make no mistake — progress is happening, and our students deserve recognition for it.&#8221;

US-NEWS-BALTIMORE-SCHOOL-BUS-SAFETY-BZ

Baltimore Schools Hiring Like Crazy As Enrollment Plummets, Scores Stay Dismal

Baltimore

Money

U.S.

When Oregon&#8217;s Democrat governor announced her state would defy President Donald Trump&#8217;s ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion, she said she was doing it for a good reason: the kids.
“Since the start of the new federal administration, I promised Oregonians that I would not back down from a fight when it comes to safeguarding Oregon values,&#8221; Tina Kotek <a href="https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/GOV/Posts/Post/governor-kotek-issues-statement-in-response-to-trump-administration’s-threat-to-take-away-funds-from-oregon-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday. &#8220;Making sure every child has the opportunity to meet their future promise with a strong public education is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government and one of my top priorities as Governor.&#8221;
That&#8217;s ironic. Because, under Kotek&#8217;s leadership, Oregon&#8217;s students are struggling to get by.
Nearly half of Oregon fourth graders scored below &#8220;basic&#8221; levels in reading, meaning they <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/reading-scores-fall-to-new-low-on-naep-fueled-by-declines-for-struggling-students/2025/01#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20scoring,purpose%20of%20an%20informational%20text." target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack</a> important reading comprehension skills like being able to determine the main idea of a text. In math, about a third of fourth graders scored below basic, <a href="https://www.nagb.gov/news-and-events/news-releases/2025/nations-report-card-decline-in-reading-progress-in-math.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meaning</a> they likely struggle with simple concepts like odd numbers.
Eighth graders&#8217; scores were just as concerning, with nearly half (45%) <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024219OR8.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring</a> below basic in math, and over a third (35%) <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024220OR8.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring</a> below basic in reading.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a bold strategy, Cotton,&#8221; school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Let&#8217;s see if it works out for them.&#8221;
&#8220;Oregon should lose all federal funding if they want to indoctrinate kids with DEI Marxism. Tax dollars shouldn&#8217;t prop up divisive ideologies that pit students against each other and their country,&#8221; DeAngelis told The Daily Wire.
That&#8217;s exactly what the Trump administration says it will do if Oregon doesn&#8217;t comply with its DEI ban. The Department of Education <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/reminder-of-legal-obligations-undertaken-exchange-receiving-federal-financial-assistance-and-request-certification-under-title-vi-and-sffa-v-harvard-april-3">informed</a> states earlier this month that &#8220;The continued use of illegal DEI practices may subject the individual or entity using such practices to serious consequences,&#8221; including &#8220;eliminating federal funding.&#8221;
But despite that threat, Oregon Democrats are, in DeAngelis&#8217;s words, &#8220;doubling down on failure.&#8221; To him, it&#8217;s because they &#8220;see the school system as a tool to control the minds of other people&#8217;s children as opposed to an education initiative.&#8221;
&#8220;Oregon Democrats are all-in on indoctrinating kids with their socialist worldview,&#8221; DeAngelis said. &#8220;Telling kids that they&#8217;re going to be failures based on their immutable characteristics holds them down.&#8221;
&#8220;This latest stunt proves their anti-parent agenda is even more about control than money,&#8221; he added. &#8220;These control freaks need to do their job, stay in their lane, and stick to the basics so kids can get an education.&#8221;
The governor&#8217;s office did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress — called &#8220;the Nation&#8217;s Report Card&#8221; — Oregon fourth graders <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024219OR4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked</a> second-worst in the country in math, tying with five other states, and third-worst in <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024220OR4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reading</a>, along with 11 other states.
But as scores plummeted over the last decade, Oregon schools did not drill down on phonics or multiplication tables. Instead, they focused on flashy, progressive wish-list items.
After the coronavirus pandemic, Portland-area parents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/parents-apoplectic-after-oregon-school-board-goes-virtual-amid-gender-ideology-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">erupted</a> at school board meetings over schools&#8217; embrace of gender ideology, including the availability of alleged “pornographic” books in school libraries, and subpar academic performance.
In Portland, the teachers&#8217; union decided in 2023 that they would take gender identity and race into account before disciplining students, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-teachers-will-take-gender-identity-race-into-account-before-disciplining" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the union&#8217;s collective bargaining agreement. After the pandemic, Portland teachers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-teachers-will-take-gender-identity-race-into-account-before-disciplining" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> they were seeing “more students in crisis” with mental health issues, which can lead to fights.
In 2022, Oregon <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/science/Documents/K-12%20%20Oregon%20Science%20Standards%20with%20Guidance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">updated</a> its science standards to teach that humans cause climate change.
Defending Education, a group that fights indoctrination in public schools, said Oregon should be focused on improving its dismal test scores.
&#8220;Oregon&#8217;s education leaders should be hanging their heads in shame,&#8221; Sarah Parshall Perry, the group&#8217;s vice president, told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Instead, they&#8217;ve doubled down on divisive and racially discriminatory DEI programs that have done nothing to boost educational outcomes,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That&#8217;s not only a violation of federal law, it&#8217;s foolhardy and misguided. And the students of Oregon deserve better. They deserve an education focused on the academic fundamentals the state has so clearly failed to deliver.”
Jeanette Schade, a former Oregon teacher who ran for school board in the Portland area in 2021, blamed the state&#8217;s failing school system on a laundry list of problems, including &#8220;dumbed-down&#8221; teacher education programs.
&#8220;Teachers are being indoctrinated in their teacher education programs,&#8221; Schade told The Daily Wire, saying those teachers go on to expose children to DEI, Critical Race Theory, and sex education that includes gender ideology.
Schade also noted that Oregon scrapped its graduation requirements during the pandemic and never went back.
In 2021, Oregon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oregon-extends-pandemic-pause-on-reading-writing-math-proficiency-high-school-graduation-requirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> the controversial move to stop requiring high schoolers to pass an &#8220;essential skills&#8221; standardized test <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/essentialskills/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing</a> basic proficiency in reading, writing, and math in order to receive their diploma.
Advocates for pausing the graduation requirement argued that the test put minority students at a disadvantage. Now, critics simply point to the sinking test scores.
<div dir="auto">
&#8220;DEI is the exact opposite of what the words mean,&#8221; Schade said. &#8220;Diversity means uniformity. Equity means not equal or helpful. And inclusive means exclude.&#8221;
</div>

Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate Tina Kotek Cast Her Ballot In Portland

As Oregon Defies Trump On DEI In Schools, Its Students Are Falling Through The Cracks

Oregon Is Doubling Down On DEI In The Classroom. It Has Some Of The Country's Worst Schools.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

LGBT

Oregon

A Florida teacher has been fired for using a student&#8217;s preferred name without the consent of the student&#8217;s parents.
Melissa Calhoun, a teacher at Satellite High School near Cape Canaveral, will not have her contract renewed for next school year after she called a student by a preferred name without getting a form signed by the parents, the district said.
Calhoun is thought to be the first teacher fired over Florida&#8217;s new law requiring teachers to obtain parental consent before referring to students by a different name than their legal one. This is the second school year the law has been in effect.
The student&#8217;s parent reportedly alerted Brevard Public Schools that Calhoun was calling the student by a different name.
Members of the community said this case was related to the student&#8217;s transgender-identifying identity.
&#8220;BPS supports parents’ rights to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives, and Florida law affirms their right to be informed,&#8221; Brevard Public Schools Spokesperson Janet Murnaghan <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2025/04/10/florida-high-school-teacher-calls-student-by-preferred-name-loses-job/83008163007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
&#8220;At BPS our focus is on education — teachers are here to teach and support students academically,&#8221; Murnaghan said. &#8220;Our job is to work in partnership with parents and guardians to ensure student success.&#8221;
Calhoun allegedly said she &#8220;knowingly did not comply with state statute.&#8221;
The district issued her a letter of reprimand and ultimately decided not to renew her contract for the fall because the state would be reviewing her teaching credentials since she had violated state law. Calhoun will finish out the school year, and then her contract expires in May.
The situation has sparked a strong response in the community, with some community members protesting the teacher&#8217;s firing at a school board meeting on Tuesday.
Calhoun has worked for the district for over a decade, since 2013, and she taught AP Literature, her LinkedIn <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2025/04/10/florida-high-school-teacher-calls-student-by-preferred-name-loses-job/83008163007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a>.
The federal government has taken a similar stand to Florida on gender ideology in public schools.
Shortly after he took office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order threatening to pull federal funding from public school districts that promote gender ideology.
Gender ideology became a hot button issue during the presidential election last year. Parents across the country sounded the alarm on children going by different names and pronouns in school behind families&#8217; backs, supported by teachers and school staff.
A 2023 poll <a href="https://defendinged.org/press-releases/parents-defending-education-poll-71-of-voters-support-legislation-requiring-schools-to-inform-parents-if-their-child-wants-to-change-their-gender-identity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> that 71% of voters supported schools being legally required to inform parents when a student wants to change their gender identity.

US-POLITICS-WYOMING-LGBTQ-DISCRIMINATION

Florida Teacher Fired For Using Student’s Preferred Name Behind Parents’ Backs

Florida

Social Issues

Transgender

Agents with the Department of Homeland Security showed up at two elementary schools in Los Angeles this week, but were refused entry amid the Trump administration&#8217;s crackdown on illegal immigration.
The two agents “identified themselves as representatives of a federal agency” and went into the main office, but school administrators refused to allow them on campus, and the agents left, the Los Angeles Unified School District <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/federal-employees-denied-entry-to-two-lausd-schools/3675573/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The two public schools were Lillian Street Elementary and Russell Elementary.
The district <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/2-l-a-schools-deny-entry-for-federal-agents-as-immigration-enforcement-fears-ramp-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the agents were from Homeland Security, and no Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed up. It is not clear exactly what the agents were hoping to do at the schools.
About one in four of the nearly 30,000 immigrant students in the Los Angeles school district, so about 7,500 students are illegal immigrants, <a href="https://utla.net/resources/immigration-resources-community/#:~:text=LAUSD%20alone%20serves%20an%20immigrant,them%20with%20safe%20spaces%2Fresources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the local teachers&#8217; union, United Teachers Los Angeles.
“We want to reaffirm the District’s unwavering commitment to the well-being and education of all students,&#8221; the district said in a message to the community.
The district&#8217;s message included a <a href="https://www.lausd.org/weareone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link</a> to the district&#8217;s immigration resources, which promise that the district &#8220;has protocols for responding to immigration personnel requests for information&#8221; and &#8220;will do everything in its power to protect and defend students, families, and staff.&#8221;
&#8220;Our schools are places of inspiration, protection, empathy, and knowledge. Fear and threat shall be met with courage and determination,&#8221; Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.
The Los Angeles district also alerted other school districts about “reports of immigration enforcement activity.”
The agents&#8217; visit to the schools comes after the Trump administration <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/21/statement-dhs-spokesperson-directives-expanding-law-enforcement-and-ending-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrapped</a> the Biden administration&#8217;s policy barring immigration agents from &#8220;sensitive&#8221; areas.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” former acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said in January.
“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” he said.
This week&#8217;s visit by the agents is believed to be the first time immigration agents have shown up at a public school since President Donald Trump took office.
About 98,000 illegal migrant students graduate from U.S. high schools across the country every year, the Los Angeles teachers union <a href="https://utla.net/resources/immigration-resources-community/#:~:text=LAUSD%20alone%20serves%20an%20immigrant,them%20with%20safe%20spaces%2Fresources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
For years, sanctuary cities like Los Angeles have refused to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement, not just in schools, but in criminal cases.
Oftentimes local law enforcement is directed not to hold illegal migrant crime suspects until ICE agents can get there to arrest and deport them, meaning the suspects get released back onto the streets.

Homeland Security

Federal Immigration Agents Denied Access To Los Angeles Public Schools

California

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Los Angeles

Minnesota&#8217;s second-largest public school district told invitees to this month&#8217;s &#8220;Equity Summit&#8221; to keep quiet about the event, citing &#8220;current political attacks on equity.&#8221;
Saint Paul Public Schools plans to hold this year&#8217;s &#8220;Beyond OUR Walls: Equity Summit&#8221; on Saturday, April 26, at one of the district&#8217;s high schools.
&#8220;I am reaching out to personally invite you, as an identified person/organization who may have interest or benefit from attending,&#8221; Edairra McCalister, the district&#8217;s Equity Specialist at its Office of Equity, wrote to invitees in a March 10 email obtained by The Daily Wire.
The email included &#8220;communication guidelines&#8221; to keep summit attendees &#8220;safe while holding to our commitment to equity.&#8221;
&#8220;Current political attacks on equity have real, potentially harmful consequences for our students, staff, and families,&#8221; McCalister wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨NEW: St Paul Public Schools in Minnesota told invitees to keep quiet about its &quot;Equity Summit&quot; this month citing &quot;current political attacks on equity&quot;
&quot;We ask that you DO NOT share to social media or public-facing platforms&quot;
From the district&#39;s &quot;equity specialist&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZzCEwQktrU">pic.twitter.com/ZzCEwQktrU</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1910327885065240875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We ask that you DO NOT share to social media or public-facing platforms (e.g. Facebook, X, community bulletins or newsletters, district websites open to the public),&#8221; she wrote.
However, McCalister encouraged attendees, &#8220;please DO send directly to trusted people and groups who are committed to equity who may want to submit a workshop or attend.&#8221;
Trusted people and groups include those who are &#8220;committed&#8221; to &#8220;racial and gender equity&#8221; and &#8220;social justice.&#8221;
McCalister appears to have started her position as the district&#8217;s equity specialist in January, just as President Donald Trump took office, according to her LinkedIn.
The Trump administration has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-order-defunding-schools-teaching-gender-ideology-crt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> executive orders prohibiting federal funding for school districts that promote a &#8220;discriminatory equity ideology,&#8221; which <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">includes</a> the idea that the United States is fundamentally racist or that one race is &#8220;inherently racist&#8221; either &#8220;consciously or unconsciously.&#8221;
Saint Paul Public Schools&#8217; Equity Office links to a &#8220;racial equity&#8221; policy aimed at confronting &#8220;institutional racism.&#8221; A &#8220;Justice for George Floyd&#8221; page <a href="https://www.spps.org/about/departments/equity/justice-for-george-floyd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">links</a> to a list of resources on how to talk to children about &#8220;racism&#8221; and whiteness&#8221; that includes materials on &#8220;implicit bias.&#8221;
The Equity Office also <a href="https://www.spps.org/about/departments/equity/out-for-equity/gender-inclusion-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">links</a> to a &#8220;gender inclusion policy&#8221; that allows trans-identifying students to use the bathrooms and play on the sports teams of the opposite sex, which Trump&#8217;s executive order also prohibits.
Asked why invitees were asked not to share the event on social media, the school district said it decided to market the event more directly this year in order to increase turnout.
&#8220;Our previous marketing strategies for this event did not yield as high of a participation as we had hoped,&#8221; Saint Paul Public Schools said in a statement to The Daily Wire. &#8220;This is an event centered around youth and youth-serving organizations, and we realized our greatest recruiting efforts came through talking to and communicating directly with those who are interested.&#8221;
&#8220;It is important that we have networks and positive relationships in place for youth to be able to feel comfortable exercising their leadership,&#8221; the school district said.
In previous years, the school district has appeared <a href="https://www.spps.org/about/departments/equity/programming/beyond-our-walls-spps-equity-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eager</a> to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/youthprise/p/C6Ec7Q9OO7W/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promote</a> the Equity Summit. A few mentions of this year&#8217;s event do <a href="https://www.spps.org/about/departments/equity/announcements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appear</a> on the district&#8217;s website. It is open to the general public, specifically &#8220;educators, students, parents, leaders, and community members,&#8221; according to the email.
The summit&#8217;s theme for this year is &#8220;From Harm to Healing, From Hope to Action.&#8221;
This year, the keynote speaker will be Dr. Bettina Love, an academic who <a href="https://bettinalove.com/bio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talks</a> about &#8220;systemic racism&#8221; in public schools and has <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-teachers-we-cannot-go-back-to-the-way-things-were/2020/04" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> standardized testing.

People waiting on an LGBTQ pride parade

Minnesota Public Schools Told Invitees To Keep Quiet About ‘Equity’ Summit

Saint Paul Public Schools Told Invitees To Keep Quiet About 'Equity' Summit

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin used his veto power to send a bill back to the Democrat-controlled legislature with a clever change.
The legislature last month passed a bill introduced by State Delegate Laura Jane Cohen (D-Fairfax), a far-left former school board member, requiring schools to text and email parents each school year, admonishing them to lock up any guns they own. Youngkin added a provision that would require schools to also communicate with parents before transitioning a child to a different gender.
Democrats previously voted down a similar bill, but now they will have to vote whether to accept or reject the edit, potentially putting them on the record in an election year that they oppose parental involvement in the most intimate aspect of their child’s life. Virginia holds elections in odd-numbered years, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost the election to Youngkin in 2019 after saying he didn’t believe parents should play a role in what goes on in schools.
Youngkin sailed to victory after lashing out at Loudoun County Public Schools for covering up a rape by a “genderfluid” boy in order to pass a transgender bathroom policy. 
<a href="https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046364.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cohen’s bill</a> required school boards to “require the notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of (i) the importance of securely storing any prescription drug, as defined in § 54.1-3401, present in the household and (ii) the parent&#8217;s responsibility, in accordance with § 18.2-56.2, to safely store any firearm present in the household.”
Instead of vetoing it, Youngkin continued with the theme of parental communication, <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB1678/text/HB1678AG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adding a requirement</a> that:
<blockquote>Local school boards shall develop protocols by which each public elementary or secondary school principal or his designee shall, as soon as practicable, (i) inform at least one parent of a minor student enrolled in such school if such minor requests that any school employee participate while at school in (a) social affirmation of the minor student&#8217;s gender incongruence or (b) the transition of such minor to a felt or stated gender different from the minor student&#8217;s biological sex and (ii) request and receive permission from at least one parent of a minor student enrolled at such school prior to the implementation at such school of any plan concerning any gender incongruence experienced by such minor, including any counseling of such minor at school that includes a provision for parental participation.</blockquote>
Cohen called the amendment “garbage,” telling <a href="https://www.wvtf.org/news/2025-03-28/youngkin-adds-controversial-amendment-to-parental-notification-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RadioIQ,</a> “For some people, teachers are the only ones they can talk to in their lives.&#8221;
As this reporter&#8217;s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Race-Bottom-Uncovering-Destroying-Education/dp/0063056720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race to the Bottom</a> found, Cohen has a child who has severe cognitive disabilities and who believes she is transgender. She ran for the Fairfax County School Board in 2019 to displace a Republican who had tried to stop the board from rushing through a transgender policy in spite of public comment indicating widespread opposition. Cohen was elected with assistance from Moms Demand Action, a national anti-gun group funded by billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
On Wednesday, the legislature will hold a floor debate on the provision requiring parental permission for gender transition, and Democrats will have to vote on whether they think schools should transition a child’s gender while keeping it secret from their parents.
Democrats have only slim majorities in each chamber, so Youngkin&#8217;s proposal would become law if even a few Democrats support it. The Daily Wire asked three vulnerable House Democrats — Joshua Cole (Fredericksburg), Josh Thomas (Gainesville), and Michael Feggans (Virginia Beach) — their positions, and none replied.
In 2023, Republicans introduced a similar bill called <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-republican-moves-to-ban-calling-misgendering-child-abuse-after-girl-is-kept-from-her-parents-for-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sage’s Law</a>, named after a girl from rural Virginia who was secretly gender-transitioned by her high school, setting in motion her being sex trafficked to Baltimore, where the FBI found her locked in the home of a convicted sex offender. A Baltimore court refused to return her to Virginia after a school counselor allegedly speculated that Sage&#8217;s mother might not accept her new gender. Instead, she was placed in a foster home for Baltimore’s most troubled boys, and was abused again.
Despite the heartbreaking story, Democrats voted down Sage’s Law last session. It was re-introduced this year, but denied a hearing, at which the story would have been told. (Read about Sage’s horror story <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maryland-refused-to-give-back-a-virginia-runaway-because-her-parents-misgendered-her-then-she-was-sex-trafficked-mother-says">here</a>.)
Sage’s mother later filed a lawsuit against the Appomattox County Public Schools, alleging its counselors summoned Sage to discuss her gender eight times during the first 12 days of the 2021-22 school year. It also alleged that the counselors were providing major psychiatric care they were not qualified or authorized to perform.

Virginia Governor Glenn (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Youngkin Edits Far-Left Legislator’s Gun Bill, Making It Prohibit Secret Gender Transitions For Kids

Glenn Youngkin

Gun Control

Virginia

Unsurprisingly, there is tremendous fearmongering marked by falsehoods from the opposition regarding President Trump’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/improving-education-outcomes-by-empowering-parents-states-and-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Public school personnel are already claiming that special education funding has been cut and that closing the department will devastate their ability to educate students. These claims are unfounded.
Amongst the loudest clamoring are the teachers union bosses. Randi Weingarten, head of the second largest teachers union, the American Federation for Teachers, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/randi-weingarten-spitting-mad-about-evisceration-education-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in her own words</a>, is “spitting mad.” Note this is the Weingarten who leveraged her political power to <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/biden-believes-in-science-so-long-as-the-teachers-unions-approve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directly influence the CDC</a> to keep public schools closed to children outrageously far longer than necessary.
Following the signing of the executive order, the American Federation for Teachers issued a <a href="https://www.aft.org/press-release/educators-professors-school-districts-unions-unite-challenge-trump-attempt-dismantle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> announcing the filing of a lawsuit by a coalition of educators, school districts, and unions against the Trump administration. Regarding the recent cutting of the massive bureaucracy bloat within the federal department and those responsible for woke DEI initiatives, the press release <a href="https://www.aft.org/press-release/educators-professors-school-districts-unions-unite-challenge-trump-attempt-dismantle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read</a>: “Mass firings of these hardworking people planned by the Trump administration will harm students and schools.”
Clearly overlooking the reality that public education is failing to effectively educate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-national-test-scores-make-undeniable-case-for-school-choice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seven out of ten</a> schoolchildren in the basics of reading and math, the teacher union is rushing to legal action in an attempt to maintain the status quo, which is a death sentence for children’s futures.
John B. King Jr, who was the U.S. Secretary of Education for a stint during the Obama administration, is another Democrat working overtime to dispense fear to Americans over the plan to dismantle the disastrous Department of Education. In a recent short <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5341462/trump-education-department-financial-aid-layoffs-arrests-international-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with NPR</a>, King kept his main talking point on repeat, asserting that “People are very worried.” Continuing, he commented about the things he’s “most worried about.” King went on, “…I’m very worried…” The painful and brief interview concluded with a final question to which King tripled down on his anxiety-spreading effort. “I’m really worried….I’m worried…I’m worried…”
The fearmongering is unfounded. President Trump, in his address prior to signing the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/improving-education-outcomes-by-empowering-parents-states-and-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities</a>” executive order into law, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjnoGgEJvLs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">communicated</a> that “Pell Grants, Title I funding, resources for children with disabilities and special needs will be preserved — fully preserved.” He explained that those programs would be “redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them.”
More specifically, special education programs will <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-and-defense-secretary-hegseth-deliver-remarks-on-f-47-fighter-jet/657517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">move to</a> the Department of Health and Human Services. Student loans will <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-and-defense-secretary-hegseth-deliver-remarks-on-f-47-fighter-jet/657517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">head to</a> the Small Business Administration (SBA), which is a commonsense change from education policy personnel managing the <a href="https://www.campusreform.org/article/40-18-trillion-student-loans-late-payments-trump-seeks-abolish-dept-ed/27711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1.8 trillion loan portfolio</a>. And, importantly, states will be freed from the red tape of Washington D.C., empowering them to make decisions concerning how best to educate the children of their state.
So, what is being cut? Simply put, the billions of dollars spent fueling the promotion of radical ideologies to children, such as gender ideology, Critical Race Theory, and an anti-American worldview. As one example, on January 23, the U.S. Department of Education, under the president&#8217;s direction, <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-takes-action-eliminate-dei" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began taking action</a> to “eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.” That <a href="https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_89d2f95a-da74-11ef-881f-c31173f69a5c.html?seyid=48320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> placing personnel who lead DEI initiatives on administrative leave, the deletion of more than 200 webpages of DEI resources that “promote or endorse” the “harmful ideological programs,” and ending DEI contracts totaling over $2.5 million.
Then, on January 29, President Trump signed the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling</a>” executive order. It <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that “In recent years…parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking parental oversight.” Specifically, the Secretary of Education, Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services must consult with the Attorney General to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create a plan</a> within 90 days to end indoctrination and protect parental rights.
Additionally, federal bureaucrats pushing paper in Washington D.C. have been cut. Already, <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-initiates-reduction-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">half of the positions</a> within the U.S. Department of Education have been eliminated as education rightfully returns to the states. Big government control of K-12 education has been a massive failure and has not increased student learning. Block granting the money back to the states will enhance efficiency and effectiveness while also providing increased accountability for student academic learning.
Don’t listen to the lies or anxiety-induced talking points. Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education is a win for America and a much-needed step forward toward the goal of successfully educating our future generation.
Hats off to President Trump for taking this longtime-coming, much needed action to ensure that gone will be the days of only three out of ten public school children learning to read or do math proficiently.
* * *
Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Rally Held In Support Of Department Of Education And Schools

Fearmongering And Falsehoods Over Education Dept. Shutdown

Department of Education

President Trump

Randi Weingarten

Student Loans

Students

Teachers Unions

Our children are bombarded by technology, certainly a natural progression of our tech-dependent society. But our educational institutions, with tech companies’ eager help, have enabled this growth – and dependency.
Surveys <a href="https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-the-massive-shift-to-1-to-1-computing-means-for-schools-in-charts/2022/05">indicate</a> that more than 90% of middle and high school students and more than 80% of elementary students have a school-issued learning device.
Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-03-19/michael-bloomberg-kids-are-spending-too-much-class-time-on-laptops?utm_campaign=wp_the_technology_202&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter">pointed out</a> that children are spending too much time on laptops at school, citing that “social skills are deteriorating and test scores are near historic lows,” and called on schools to turn back to “using books and pens.”
Children’s near ubiquitous use of screens at school is worth reconsidering, in light of the dismal <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nation’s Report Card</a> finding that students are losing ground in reading and are not improving in math. While screens in schools may not be the only reason children are failing, they also don’t appear to be helping.
This is one reason why there’s a growing movement of school districts and states taking steps to restrict students’ cell phone use in classrooms. A 2023 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/02/health/phones-allowed-school-children-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> found that “97% of 11- to 17-year-olds use their phones during school time.”
Teachers see the impact of cell phone use in their classrooms. According to a Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted in fall 2023, 72% of U.S. high school teachers consider cell phone distraction a major problem in their classrooms. Middle school teachers (33%) and elementary school teachers (6%) also share concerns about student distraction due to cell phones.
Phones are not only distracting to children (and let’s admit it, they are for adults too), children are especially vulnerable to addictive technology and powerful algorithms that feed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tech-and-tv-study-shows-excessive-screen-time-explicit-content-changing-the-teenage-brain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harmful content</a> to them. Children can also be groomed by predators and exposed to sexually explicit and graphically violent content on social media platforms. Personal tech can also be weaponized in schools – creating and magnifying bullying situations against classmates and teachers.
For all of these reasons and more, children should not have smartphone access during the school day.
I am encouraged that school districts and elected leaders across the U.S. have been working to restrict cell phones in classrooms. The issue is even <a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-cell-phone-bans-states-e6d1fe8ddfde33f086d5cd2a19f4c148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uniting Republicans and Democrats</a>. Los Angeles Unified School District banned them, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has unveiled a plan to ban them, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wants to restrict them, to name a few. Across the pond, Denmark has banned phones in schools and there are calls for the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/ban-mobile-phones-schools-europe-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rest of the EU</a> to do the same.
The Parents Television and Media Council’s whitepaper, <a href="https://www.parentstv.org/resources/PDF/Studies/240723-REPORT-School-Phone-Policies.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartphones in the Classroom: What States are Doing to Confront These Digital Distractions</a> (July 2024) revealed that 28 U.S. states made efforts to eliminate or restrict cell phones in classrooms. That number is certainly larger now.
For this to work though, it will take parents uniting against these digital distractions, as many parents want to be able to reach their child instantaneously if there’s an emergency. While this is a valid concern, most schools already encourage parents to call the school office should they need to reach their child.
There are enough anecdotes alone to know that freeing children from cell phones in school is wise. School administrators have seen children and teens increasingly interact with each other.
A Study.com <a href="https://teachinglicense.study.com/featured-insights/mobile-bans-increase-engagement-and-learning-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> found that “76% of teachers working in schools with strict cell phone policies believe that cell phone bans increase student engagement,” and “70% believe [the bans] enhance student safety.”
“Students were actually paying attention to his lessons,” <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-24/yondr-pouches-enforce-school-cell-phone-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a high school dean of students about one teacher’s feedback after the Los Angeles Unified School District’s cell phone ban began.
If our children are to succeed in school, it’s time to reduce screen time – and cell phone use – during the school day.
* * *
Melissa Henson is the Vice President of the <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parents Television and Media Council</a>, a nonpartisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. On X: @ThePTC.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Teens in circle holding smart mobile phones – Multicultural young people using cellphones outside – Teenagers addicted to new technology concept

It’s Time To Remove Cell Phones From The Classroom

cell phones

Computer

Elementary Schools

Smartphones

Technology

Teenagers

Testing

An LGBT activist teacher in Colorado and her trans-identifying male husband are housing a 17-year-old girl who identifies as a boy. Police say they are unable to intervene to bring the teen home to her mother.
JoAnn Smotherman, a former math teacher at Durango High School, took the teen, one of her students, into her Durango home in December when the girl left home after a fight with her mother. JoAnn is married to Vivian Smotherman, a trans-identifying man who ran for Colorado State Senate as a Democrat last year.
The teen&#8217;s mother, Cynthia Stein, has gone to the Smothermans&#8217; home and attempted, unsuccessfully, to take back her daughter. She called in the police, but the officers who responded to the scene said they would not force the teen to go home, according to the police report and body cam footage of the incident obtained by The Daily Wire.
The situation is the culmination of months of outside influences on the vulnerable teen, her mother told The Daily Wire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JoAnn Smotherman was the girl&#39;s math teacher at Durango High School
Her husband is Vivian Smotherman, a trans-id man who ran for Colorado state senate as a Democrat last year
They took in the 17yo girl who identifies as a boy in December after she had a fight with her mom <a href="https://t.co/eKPnxbn4qL">pic.twitter.com/eKPnxbn4qL</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1904520167163384156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;You don&#39;t appear to be in distress. I don&#39;t want to put words in your mouth,&quot; one officer told the 17yo girl, who said she did not want to leave
The cops and the Smothermans used male pronouns for the girl <a href="https://t.co/n1LmRPvG5M">pic.twitter.com/n1LmRPvG5M</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1904520174016852104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The 17-year-old girl has identified as a boy since the fall and now uses a unisex name. She has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, an eating disorder, depression, and anxiety, according to medical records provided by her mother. At school, the teen was seeing a counselor, without her mother&#8217;s knowledge, who advised the girl to terminate parental notification and encouraged her to participate in LGBT support groups, her mother said.
The turn to radical gender ideology came amid difficult times at home. Stein underwent treatment for an aggressive cancer in 2023, and believes that crisis deeply affected her daughter, who became &#8220;very withdrawn&#8221; from the family.
&#8220;Smotherman stepped in and took advantage of my kid,&#8221; Stein told The Daily Wire. &#8220;She&#8217;s just inserted herself into my family, and I still can&#8217;t get her out.&#8221;
&#8220;I just can&#8217;t stress to you enough how floored I am that this woman has gotten away with what she has, and that there is nothing that I can do to make it right or hold her accountable,&#8221; Stein said.
On November 2, the teen ran away from home after her mother told her they were moving to Denver to be near family, and to put some distance between the teen and local influences. Law enforcement and Child Protective Services got involved, and the child ultimately went home to her mother.
However, the girl left home again on December 21 after a fight with her mother. This time, she went straight to the Smothermans&#8217; house, her mother later discovered, although she initially did not know where her daughter was and filed a runaway report with the police.
On January 5, Stein went with two friends to the Smothermans&#8217; house and tried to retrieve her daughter. Stein called the police, and two deputies with the La Plata County Sheriff&#8217;s Office responded and conducted a welfare check on her daughter.
&#8220;Basically, as long as I know that everybody&#8217;s okay, that&#8217;s really the extent of law enforcement involvement, you know what I mean? I don&#8217;t know. I don&#8217;t know what else to say,&#8221; one deputy told both Smothermans on their porch when he arrived.
&#8220;We get it. He&#8217;s just incredibly terrified right now because of everything that they&#8217;ve been through,&#8221; Vivian responded, using male pronouns for the girl.
The officer went inside and asked the teen how she was, and she responded, &#8220;I&#8217;m good, how are you?&#8221;
&#8220;Good, that&#8217;s all I need to basically hear,&#8221; the officer said, adding later, &#8220;You don&#8217;t appear to be in distress. I don&#8217;t want to put words in your mouth.&#8221;
&#8220;No, not until my mom showed up,&#8221; the teen responded. &#8220;I was totally fine. I was having fun.&#8221;
&#8220;I mean yes, by legal standard you&#8217;re technically a minor as a 17-year-old,&#8221; the officer said, telling her that &#8220;as long as you&#8217;re not being held against your will or kidnapped or anything awful like that, things get a little more complicated when we hit 17-years-old and have the ability to drive and go places and make decisions about who we hang out with.&#8221;
&#8220;I appreciate your willingness to, I don&#8217;t know, I guess help me check boxes,&#8221; the officer said as he exited the house.
Meanwhile, the other officer was speaking with Vivian outside about how the teen ended up at the Smothermans. The teen claimed her mother kicked her out, but her mother said that while they did have a fight, she never meant to kick her daughter out.
&#8220;He got kicked out, and now they want him back?&#8221; the officer asked.
&#8220;He has not been told by his parents to come back,&#8221; JoAnn Smotherman said.
&#8220;Well it seems like they want him back now, no?&#8221; the officer said.
The Smothermans also informed the officers that the teen was a couple of months away from turning 18.
&#8220;Certainly not what I would consider a &#8216;child,'&#8221; the first officer said, using air quotes.
Vivan Smotherman, the transgender-identifying Democrat activist, told the cops he &#8220;absolutely&#8221; does not want the teen&#8217;s mother coming onto his property.
As the officers walked to their cars, the first officer told his partner, &#8220;probably going to have to speak with them,&#8221; referring to the teen&#8217;s mom and her friends.
&#8220;Yeah they&#8217;re gonna have a meltdown,&#8221; the second officer said.
&#8220;Exactly,&#8221; the first officer responded, laughing.
Back at the bottom of the driveway, Stein told the deputies, &#8220;She is a minor. I don&#8217;t care if she&#8217;s a day away from 18. A minor is a minor, and she does not have my permission to be here.&#8221;
The first officer told her that &#8220;minor and child are different&#8221; and that the situation was &#8220;on a civil level&#8221; and &#8220;does not rise to the level of law enforcement involvement.&#8221;
&#8220;So I&#8217;m sorry, you&#8217;re telling me that you&#8217;re not going to —&#8221; Stein began.
&#8220;Physically rip her out of that home? Yeah,&#8221; the officer responded.
In the police report, the first officer wrote, &#8220;Being that [the teen] is roughly two months from turning 18, has filed for emancipation, has had recent involvement with CPS including investigations into the difficulties at Cynthia&#8217;s home, did not wish to return home, has stayed with Jo Ann when experiencing problems at home in the past and appeared to be of sound mind, in good health and spirits in what appeared to be a safe place, engaged in constructive activities and was not in distress, I did not force [the teen] to leave.&#8221;
Before the police incident, Stein was also served legal documents to emancipate her daughter from her custody, a move she believes JoAnn Smotherman was behind.
On February 23, Smotherman <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JoAnnSmothermanCO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Facebook asking for money to continue paying a lawyer for a &#8220;young transman.&#8221;
&#8220;Hello Friends. I need your assistance again. Some months ago we raised the needed funds to provide a lawyer to a young transman,&#8221; Smotherman wrote. &#8220;The lawyer has successfully protected this young man from his abusers. However, our retainer ran out a couple weeks ago. Dispite [sic] the lack of funds, the lawyer continued working on the case, which is now coming to a successful close. We need to raise another $1000 to pay for services that have already been provided. Anything raised beyond what is owed to the lawyer will go to updating the young man&#8217;s gender marker and name so that he can be further protected from the coming challenges. If you are able to help, please message me for how to contribute.&#8221;
The emancipation request was ultimately denied. A &#8220;small victory,&#8221; Stein said.
JoAnn Smotherman did not respond to a request for comment. The lawyer who filed the emancipation petition likewise did not respond.
Asked why law enforcement was unable to return the teen to her mother, Sergeant Chris Burke with the La Plata County Sheriff&#8217;s Office pointed to law enforcement&#8217;s policy on juvenile non-offenders, which states that juveniles may be taken into custody for their own safety if they are abused, neglected, under the influence of substances, or an illegal alien.
JoAnn&#8217;s Facebook page is chock full of posts promoting LGBT activism. Her profile picture shows her at &#8220;Drag Bingo in Denver.&#8221; Other posts ask for volunteers for Pride and Transgender Day of Remembrance events. A cartoon she posted accuses parents of pushing their gay kids away and then accusing the LGBT crowd of &#8220;grooming&#8221; them. She also posted to &#8220;protect the pride flag&#8221; in public schools. Recently the Durango school district had a months long saga over the Black Lives Matter and &#8220;progress pride&#8221; flags, and the school board ultimately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colorado-school-board-could-allow-teachers-to-fly-blm-transgender-flags-in-classroom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decided</a> both are allowed in schools.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Vivian Smotherman was promoted by the Democrat Party&#39;s state campaign arm before he lost his Colorado state senate race last year <a href="https://t.co/RxtqLHjnKX">pic.twitter.com/RxtqLHjnKX</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1904520188726268387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Vivian Smotherman has been a public figure since last year when he <a href="https://x.com/ImMeme0/status/1792207136899924269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ran</a> for Colorado State Senate. He was promoted by local Democrats but ultimately <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Vivian_Smotherman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> to his Republican opponent.
The teen&#8217;s mother had at least one advocate in her corner — the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN)​ spent months supporting Stein as she navigated the situation, reaching out to the police, lawyers, and the media.
&#8220;CPAN has supported Cindy since she first filed her incident report. This case is a devastating example of what happens when schools and state systems bypass parents. We’re calling on lawmakers and citizens to demand accountability and protect families,&#8221; Lori Gimelshteyn, CPAN&#8217;s executive director told The Daily Wire.
The situation has caused Stein and her family a world of &#8220;chaos and hurt,&#8221; Stein said. Her daughter has not contacted her since she left the house, although the teen did come by to get some of her stuff in January.
The teen&#8217;s mother said she had been giving her daughter Hallmark cards telling her she loves her through friends of hers who are employees at the local grocery store, where the teen worked. However, Stein said she recently heard her daughter quit that job.
The teen&#8217;s lawyer has demanded Stein stop contacting her daughter and turn over the account numbers for the college fund and inheritance set up by Stein&#8217;s parents, the teen&#8217;s grandparents, she said.
&#8220;Because I love my child, I have honored that request,&#8221; Stein said.
The teen turns 18 on Tuesday, and is still living with the Smothermans.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sure I don&#8217;t have to tell you that I&#8217;m heartbroken not to be able to share this milestone with her,&#8221; her mother said. &#8220;She and I actually share the same birthday so it&#8217;s a double whammy for me. I&#8217;m devastated at the idea that she thinks I hate her and never want her in my life again.&#8221;

LGBT Activist Teacher, Trans Husband House Minor Teen Girl In Colorado Against Mom’s Wishes

Colorado Teacher, Trans Husband House Minor Teen Girl Against Mother's Wishes, Police Won't Help

Trump Signs Executive Order To Begin Dismantling Education Department

All The Reasons Why Abolishing The DOE Is A Great Move By Trump

Federal Government

Matt Walsh

Republicans

The U.S. Department of Education is an $80 billion failure. For decades, it’s promised better schools and brighter futures, yet delivered little beyond bureaucracy and stagnation. President Trump is right: it’s time to end the Department of Education and hand states the reins.
In Tennessee, we understand that the best education system considers the unique needs of every student and empowers parents to choose what’s best for their child. We also have a proven track record of stewarding tax dollars wisely to achieve the maximum benefit for our students and teachers. By returning education to the states, we can once again make an American education the gold standard across the globe.
Since the department’s creation in 1979, the federal government has spent more than $6 trillion on education, yet our kids aren’t reading any better, solving equations any faster, or competing stronger globally. The “Nation’s Report Card” shows reading and math scores for 17-year-olds stuck where they were in the 1970s. Meanwhile, administrative staff in public schools has ballooned, growing by 19 times the rate of student growth since 2000, while resources are failing to make it into the classroom and teachers drown in paperwork. This isn’t just waste – it’s a sacrifice of our children’s future.
Worse yet, the department has become a megaphone for ideological agendas that undermine parents’ rights. The Biden Education Department pushed critical race theory in classrooms and threatened funding to schools that didn’t allow boys in girls’ sports. That’s not education – it’s ideology. In Tennessee, we’re focused on teaching our kids the facts – real civics and hard science – so they can think for themselves and take pride in our nation’s great story.
Education simply isn’t Washington’s job. Before 1979, states like Tennessee built school systems without a federal babysitter. That’s why President Ronald Reagan called the department a “bureaucracy that’s outlived its usefulness” and pushed to shift power back to parents and community leaders. Newt Gingrich’s 1994 Contract with America again called for abolishing the Department of Education. Today, President Trump is making good on generations of promises.
Tennessee, like many states, has proven that when parents and communities lead, students succeed. Our state has led the nation in academic recovery post-COVID and implemented literacy programs helping kids read at higher levels than ever before. And with the passage of universal school choice in Tennessee this year, thanks to President Trump’s support, we’ve put parents in the driver’s seat.
Look beyond Tennessee and the evidence piles up. Mississippi’s “Miracle” lifted 4th-grade reading scores above the national average thanks to state-driven literacy reforms. Florida’s investments in choice and education since 1999 have helped low-income students rise from 33rd to 1st nationally in reading scores, while graduation rates increased and dropout rates were cut nearly in half.
President Trump can end the federal government’s authority over education because the Constitution never granted it in the first place. The Department of Education’s main role is sending states money, which Washington somehow succeeded in doing before creating the department. Other parts of the federal government are likely better equipped to serve students, such as the Treasury with student loans.
Cutting off the bureaucracy does not mean turning off the funding. States already handle 90% of K-12 funding; the federal 10% — about $1.8 billion for Tennessee — can be managed smarter at home. We’ve done it before: Tennessee’s Medicaid block grant has saved taxpayers a billion dollars over three years while improving care. Imagine what we could do with education dollars, cutting waste and pouring resources into classrooms, not cubicles.
President Trump’s plan means hope for America’s children. It opens doors to state-driven innovation, unleashing the creative potential of all 50 states. And it gives parents — not Washington — more control over the education of their children.
It’s time to end this failed experiment and return education to the states. We know our children. We know what works. Let states lead — and watch our kids thrive.
* * *
Bill Lee is the 50th Governor of Tennessee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The 2024 Republican National Convention

Education Belongs In The States, Not Washington

Tennessee

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