A U.S. District Court judge blocked California from forcing teachers to lie to parents about their children&#8217;s secret gender transitions in a major <a href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63d954d4e4ad424df7819d46/6949e11ea6bae817c8eaf637_Dkt%20%20307_MSJ%20Order.pdf">ruling</a> on Monday.
The case stemmed from a class-action lawsuit brought by two Christian teachers who pushed back against the law requiring them to hide students&#8217; gender transitions from parents and use students&#8217; preferred pronouns. Monday&#8217;s ruling from Judge Roger T. Benitez &#8220;permanently&#8221; ends &#8220;California&#8217;s dangerous and unconstitutional regime of gender secrecy policies in schools,&#8221; according to the Thomas More Society, which filed the lawsuit.
“In a landmark class-action ruling, Thomas More Society achieved a historic victory in Mirabelli, et al. v. Olson, et al., ending California’s gender secrecy policies and restoring transparency and parental involvement in public education,&#8221; the Thomas More Society <a href="http://t.co/cD3Ue3I02P">said</a>. &#8220;The decision and federal court order issuing a class-wide permanent injunction—issued by U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez just days before Christmas—secures justice not only for teachers Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West who began the lawsuit, but for all parents and teachers harmed by these policies statewide.&#8221;
Benitez wrote that the case dealt with “four questions about a parent’s rights to information as against a public school’s policy of secrecy when it comes to a student’s gender identification.” Those questions were:
<ol>
<li>Do parents have a right to gender information based on the Fourteenth Amendment’s substantive due process clause?</li>
<li>Do parents have a right to gender information protected by the First Amendment’s free exercise of religion clause?</li>
<li>Do religious public school teachers have a right to provide gender information to parents based on the First Amendment’s free exercise clause?</li>
<li>Do public school teachers have a right to communicate accurate gender information to parents based on the First Amendment free speech clause?</li>
</ol>
“In each case, this Court concludes that, as a matter of law, the answer is ‘yes,” he wrote. “Parents have a right to receive gender information and teachers have a right to provide to parents accurate information about a child’s gender identity.”
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“California’s public school system parental exclusion policies place a communication barrier between parents and teachers,” he opined. “Some parents who do not want such barriers may have the wherewithal to place their children in private schools or homeschool, or to move to a different public school district. Families in middle or lower socio-economic circumstances have no such options.  For these parents, the new policy appears to undermine their own constitutional rights while it conflicts with knowledgeable medical opinion.  The State Defendants are, in essence, asking this Court to limit, and restrict a common-sense and legally sound description by the United States Supreme Court of parental rights.  That, this Court will not do.”
“The parental exclusion policies create a trifecta of harm: they harm the child who needs parental guidance and possibly mental health intervention to determine if the incongruence is organic or whether it is the result of bullying, peer pressure, or a fleeting impulse. They harm the parents by depriving them of the long-recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to care, guide, and make health care decisions for their children, and by substantially burdening many parents’ First Amendment right to train their children in their sincerely held religious beliefs  And finally, they harm teachers who are compelled to violate the sincerely held beliefs and the parent’s rights by forcing them to conceal information they feel is critical for the welfare of their students,” he concluded.

BRAZIL-CLIMATE-COP30-UN

Federal Judge Blocks California Law Requiring Teachers To Hide Children’s Gender Identity

California

Schools

Teachers

Transgender

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced six interagency agreements (IAAs) with four federal agencies to take another major step forward toward fulfilling the promise of dismantling the 45-year failure of the astronomically expensive and ineffective department.
The agreements are with the Department of Labor, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of State. According to a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-six-new-agency-partnerships-break-federal-bureaucracy">press release</a> from the Department of Education, “by partnering with agencies that are best positioned to deliver results for students and taxpayers, these IAAs will streamline federal education activities on legally required programs, reduce administrative burdens, and refocus programs and activities to better serve students and grantees.”
The six agreements are as follows. First is the Elementary and Secondary Education Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. Going forward, the Department of Labor will begin playing a larger role in the administration of federal K-12 education programs to enhance <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-labor-dol-elementary-and-secondary-education-partnership-112465.pdf">alignment</a> with workforce and postsecondary programs, resulting in “a cohesive, unified strategy for talent development.”
Second is the Postsecondary Education Partnership, which is also between the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. It will streamline the administration of postsecondary education programs and <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-labor-dol-postsecondary-education-partnership-112464.pdf">will</a> “create a better coordinated Federal approach to postsecondary education and workforce development to help more Americans achieve career success.”
Third is the Indian Education Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior. This includes the Department of the Interior administering Indian education spanning from elementary, secondary, and higher education, as well as career and technical education and vocational rehabilitation. This will ensure Native American students are better served with education, training, and workforce programs.
Fourth is the Foreign Medical Accreditation Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. It leverages the expertise of the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate whether the accreditation standards for foreign medical schools are comparable to those of U.S. medical schools. According to a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-health-and-human-services-hhs-foreign-medical-accreditation-partnership-112462.pdf">fact sheet</a> in conjunction with the press release, the “accreditation standards must be comparable between U.S. and foreign medical schools in order for American students enrolled in medical schools outside of the U.S. to be eligible for federal student loans.”
Fifth is a second agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, termed the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Partnership. The partnership <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-health-and-human-services-hhs-child-care-access-means-parents-school-partnership-112460.pdf">will</a> “promote innovation and process improvements in pursuit of better outcomes for parents and children” by streamlining policies and program requirements, and also <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-health-and-human-services-hhs-child-care-access-means-parents-school-partnership-112460.pdf">providing</a> “campus-based child care services to low-income students.”
Sixth is the International Education and Foreign Language Studies Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of State. It enhances the efficiency of the Fulbright-Hays grant programs, which equip Americans with skills critical to our national security and interests.
Speaking of these partnerships, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said, “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission.” The mission is nothing other than — with the votes necessary from Congress — to eliminate the ineffective U.S. Department of Education, which has wasted trillions of dollars without improving student learning.
Continuing, Secretary McMahon explained what lies ahead: “As we partner with these agencies to improve federal programs, we will continue to gather best practices in each state through our 50-state tour, empower local leaders in K-12 education, restore excellence to higher education, and work with Congress to codify these reforms. Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools — ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.”
Since January, the Trump Administration has been focused on cutting wasteful spending within the U.S. Department of Education and removing harmful ideologies. For example, just three days after taking office, under the President’s direction, the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-takes-action-eliminate-dei">U.S. Department of Education</a> took action to “eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.” This <a href="https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_89d2f95a-da74-11ef-881f-c31173f69a5c.html?seyid=48320">included</a> placing U.S. Department of Education staff leading DEI initiatives on administrative leave, removing more than 200 web pages containing DEI resources that promote or endorse harmful ideological programs, and cutting over $2.5 million of DEI contracts.
<div id="attachment_1002607" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1002607" class="size-large wp-image-1002607" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-864x576.jpg" alt="US President Donald Trump holds an executive order after signing it alongside US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon (R) in the East Room of the White house in Washington, DC, March 20, 2025. US President Donald Trump will sign an order March 20, 2025 to start dismantling the Department of Education, fulfilling an election campaign pledge and a long-held dream of American conservatives. By law, the Education Department -- created in 1979 -- cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress, and Republicans do not have the votes to push that through. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images.</div>
In March, President Trump signed the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/improving-education-outcomes-by-empowering-parents-states-and-communities/">Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities</a>” executive order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-empowers-parents-states-and-communities-to-improve-education-outcomes/">directing</a> Secretary McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
President Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjnoGgEJvLs">explained</a> and communicated confidence, stating, “We are going to be returning education very simply back to the states where it belongs. And this is a very popular thing to do, but much more importantly, it is a common-sense thing to do, and it is going to work. Absolutely, it is going to work.” Signing the executive order was a foundational first step toward eliminating the department.
Despite the opposition&#8217;s rhetoric, dismantling the Department of Education is about partnering with other federal agencies to improve efficiency, break down bureaucracy, and return education to the states where it rightfully belongs. This will give moms and dads a bigger voice while providing for greater accountability for academic results.
The recent 43-day government shutdown highlighted the lack of need for the federal education department. Just two days before the major IAAs partnership announcement, Secretary McMahon <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2025/11/16/school-funding-trump-dismantle-education-department/87251723007/">wrote</a> in USA Today on November 16, “The Schumer shutdown underlined just how little the Department of Education will be missed. As such, the Trump administration will work to end federal micromanagement of our schools and empower state and local leaders to create high-quality education programs that lead to a rewarding career. We know that the stakes could not be higher.”
These strategic actions under Secretary McMahon’s leadership mark a decisive departure from decades of federal bureaucratic bloat and chart the much-needed path forward toward making good on President Trump’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-empowers-parents-states-and-communities-to-improve-education-outcomes/">executive order</a> commitment to return “power over education to families instead of bureaucracies.”
* * *
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.
Correction: The title of this article has been updated.
* * *
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Trump Takes Steps Toward Dismantling Education Department

Trump Admin Delivers On Promise To Dismantle U.S. Department Of Education

Department of Interior

Department of Labor

Donald Trump

Education

Federal Government

Linda McMahon

Parental Rights in Education

State Department

Students

Trump Administration

In light of the recent loss of Charlie Kirk, we have to seriously reconsider the level of radical indoctrination in our <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/public-schools">public schools</a> — and not just at the collegiate level. The hostility that fueled such an attack doesn’t appear out of thin air. It begins in classrooms where children are taught to despise their country, question their God-given identity, and see their parents as obstacles rather than protectors. By the time students reach college, the soil has already been prepared by years of quiet but intentional indoctrination. The loss of Charlie should also serve as a rallying cry — a reminder of the price conservatives are paying in this cultural battle and the urgency to confront it head-on.
This is why the fight against gender ideology in our K–12 schools cannot wait. It is not a side issue or a distraction from “real politics.” It is the heart of the cultural crisis America faces. If children are trained from kindergarten to see themselves through the lens of gender theory rather than truth, faith, and family, then we should not be surprised when that worldview matures into radicalism, activism, and, eventually, violence.
For decades, conservatives assumed the worst indoctrination happened on college campuses. That was a mistake. Elementary schools are where the work begins — through school counselors, taxpayer-funded SEL programs, and activist-approved library shelves. Children are introduced to gender confusion long before they ever take an SAT or apply to a university. By the time they arrive on campus, the indoctrination is already deeply rooted.
Florida recognized this and acted decisively. In 2022, the state passed the Parental Rights in Education Act (<a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h1557er.docx&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=1557&amp;Session=2022">HB 1557</a>), banning classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. In 2023, lawmakers expanded the law to apply through eighth grade and specifically addressed the use of pronouns. The Florida Board of Education later broadened protections further to cover all K–12 grades. Additional bills like <a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h1069er.docx&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=1069&amp;Session=2023">HB 1069</a> reaffirmed that sex is biologically determined at birth, while <a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_s0254er.DOCX&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=254&amp;Session=2023">SB 254</a> placed restrictions on gender-related medical interventions for minors.
What made this possible was the partnership of strong leadership at the top — Gov. Ron DeSantis and a conservative state school board — combined with parents pushing relentlessly from the bottom up. Importantly, the state school board did not wait for the legislature to act again; they used their authority to pass stronger policies when they saw the need. This kind of backbone is missing in school boards across the country, but it is the critical piece in reclaiming our public school systems. That partnership is the model every red state must follow if we want to preserve the innocence of children and the authority of parents.
Florida shows that the combination of political courage and grassroots activism can shift the culture of public schools. Parents had been voicing concerns for years about radical curricula, library materials, and counselors undermining parental authority. Instead of dismissing those voices, the leadership of Florida embraced them, amplifying the parents rather than silencing them. That is the blueprint. This bottom-up and top-down unity is what makes Florida distinct — and it is why conservative parents in other states look to Florida as proof that this fight can be won.
On the other end of the spectrum is California, where the guardrails are gone. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the SAFETY Act (<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1955">AB 1955</a>), which allows schools to conceal a child’s new gender identity or pronouns from parents. San Diego schools have run classroom programs with books like <a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/profile/controversy-erupts-in-california-school-district-over-radical-gender-ideology-in-classrooms/">My Shadow Is Pink</a>, asking fifth graders to guide kindergartners through gender-identity exercises without parental notification. And when teachers object on religious grounds — such as the Oakland kindergarten teacher fired for refusing to use pronouns that violated her conscience — the state sides with ideology, not faith or family.
California also recently lost more than $12 million in federal funding for refusing to strip “radical gender ideology” from its sex-education curriculum. Instead of correcting course, the state doubled down. This is the America our children will inherit if red states fail to act.
The danger in California isn’t limited to its own borders. Policies that begin there often spread nationwide through activist groups, teacher unions, and national curriculum providers. A book that appears in a Los Angeles classroom one year often shows up in a red-state district the next. Without strong protections, even conservative communities will find themselves importing California’s chaos. That is why the example of California should serve as both a warning and a motivator: if red states do not proactively legislate, they will be pulled in the same direction by cultural and institutional pressures.
President Trump recently issued an <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/24/2025-01567/removing-radical-gender-ideology-from-federally-funded-education-programs">executive order</a> directing the removal of radical gender ideology from federally funded education programs. That is an important step — but executive orders are temporary. What one president does, the next can undo. And without strong state-level laws, even Trump’s order cannot stop what continues to happen in liberal states like California, where ideology is embedded in classrooms regardless of federal guidance.
That’s why red states must codify protections into permanent law. And they must add accountability measures with real teeth:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Immediate removal from the classroom if teachers or counselors push gender ideology in violation of the law.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Revocation of teaching licenses so offenders cannot simply move districts or cross state lines to continue indoctrinating children.</li>
</ul>
Parents deserve more than symbolism — they deserve action. Conservative lawmakers must remember that parents are not asking for suggestions or guidelines — they are demanding laws that protect their rights and their children. Laws without accountability are empty. A policy without enforcement is a wish list. If red states want to be serious, they need to back up their words with actions that make the cost of violating parental rights unacceptably high.
Conservative states now have both the opportunity and the obligation to act. Parents are fleeing states like California in search of places where their children can be raised in safety, truth, and faith. Red states must be those safe havens. That means more than political slogans — it means codifying into law the protections families need to preserve faith-based values and the authority of parents.
If conservatives fail here, the exodus from blue states will only accelerate, but families will arrive to find that their “safe haven” is just another battleground. Conservative parents are looking for states where school boards act decisively, legislatures put children first, and governors refuse to bend to woke corporations or activist lobbies. They want leaders who will not only defend but advance the values of family, faith, and freedom.
Red states across the country now have the opportunity and the backing of parents — and if legislators refuse, they should be replaced with leaders who will. The loss of Charlie has only deepened conservatives’ resolve, reminding us of the urgency and the cultural impact of his fight.
The line is clear: pass laws protecting children from gender ideology with real accountability, and pass them first — or prepare to face a reckoning at the ballot box. Our children are not bargaining chips. They are the future of America, and they deserve to be defended. Until states pass binding protections, even Trump’s executive order cannot shield families from the spread of radical ideology in liberal states — making state action urgent and non-negotiable.
* * *
Emily Jones is a mother, community organizer, and candidate for the Alabama State Board of Education. Known as “The Controversial Mom,” she advocates for parental rights, faith-based values, and stronger accountability in public schools.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-25-Sep-2025-09-06-AM-6432

Why Red States Must Crush Gender Ideology In The Classroom

Activists

Elementary Schools

Gender

gender ideology

High School

Leftists

Public Schools

During the summer months, educators across the country flock to professional development conferences, often on the taxpayers’ dime. These events are supposed to sharpen the instructional skills of teachers and equip them with new methods for helping students succeed, addressing real challenges of education, such as declining test scores, reading comprehension, and math proficiency.
But as Defending Education’s analysis of the programming shows, what actually dominates these conferences is not literacy strategies or math interventions.
Instead, the recurring themes are race, social justice, gender, activism, and equity. From English to math, and from history to science, the same ideological buzzwords surface again and again. It’s little wonder parents are concerned, or that the nation has grown more politically divided.
Take the National Education Association (NEA), the country’s largest teachers union. At its <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/555fe259-c382-4f14-87b0-319c288f9e68/websitePage:83a0a9c7-c495-4fe0-ad95-5eb99de3dbc2">Conference on Racial and Social Justice</a> in Portland this summer, activism, not academics, took center stage.
Unions like the NEA make no effort to hide their contempt for Donald Trump and the values of his supporters. At its annual Representative Assembly, the union <a href="https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250706-ratoday-issue-5.pdf">approved business items</a> labeling Trump’s agenda as “fascist” and opposing efforts to eliminate the Department of Education, which it called racist and anti-democratic. In direct response to a Supreme Court decision (Mahmoud v. Taylor) affirming religious parents’ rights to opt their children out of LGBTQ curricula, the NEA allocated $209,000 to push back and expand LGBTQ advocacy in schools. In total, the NEA committed more than $340,000 <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/national-education-association-approves-business-items-accusing-president-trump-of-fascism-and-authoritarianism-opposing-supreme-court-ruling-and-not-using-adl-materials/">toward initiatives</a> designed to counter conservative policies.
This union-driven activism is not confined to Portland. Across the country, teachers are being coached to use classrooms as platforms for reshaping opinions on society’s most sensitive issues. Students are not simply taught about history or literature; they are encouraged to become activists themselves. The worldview behind this approach borrows heavily from Marxist theory, framing society as an endless struggle between oppressors and the oppressed. That lens is being embedded into lesson plans, teacher training, and classroom culture, gradually shifting education away from its original purpose — academic instruction — toward political reeducation.
The sessions at NEA’s conference illustrate this shift. One workshop, “Building Narrative Power for Education Justice,” trained teachers to use storytelling to fight “anti-truth” and anti-LGBTQ legislation. Another warned about “White Christian nationalist forces” allegedly exploiting pan-Asian communities. Additional sessions covered “racial battle fatigue,” blurred lines between racism and ableism, and framed climate change as disproportionately harming communities of color, women, and students with disabilities. One even linked the MAGA movement to Jim Crow and Native land theft. Teachers were urged to affirm transgender student identities, disrupt curriculum challenges, and fight political opponents under the banner of education justice.
The conference also promoted the <a href="https://custom.cvent.com/820B5689CD804AEAA83FC39F9FBC8CD3/files/0a702792cebf4a3ea1c9b294c6c985b5.pdf">NEA’s pronoun guide</a>, which encourages teachers to adopt nontraditional pronouns such as ze, zir, zirs, and zirself, and to display their own pronouns as a sign of being a “safe person.” Misgendering, teachers were told, is itself a form of marginalization.
While parents worry about declining math and reading scores, union-sponsored trainings are focused on dismantling ableism, confronting White Christian nationalism, and embedding queer theory into K–12 classrooms. These are not the priorities of most American families, but within the union bubble, they are treated as urgent and non-negotiable. 
And it’s not just the NEA. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) filled its 2024 <a href="https://s1.goeshow.com/ncte/annual/2024/conference_program_sessions.cfm">conference with sessions</a> such as “Disrupting the Canon with LGBTQIA+ Themes,” “Queer and Trans-Affirming Education,” and “Antiracist Pedagogy Workshop.”
In a perfect example encapsulating how this ideology makes its way into the classroom, one teacher at a school district in New York <a href="https://www.jecsd.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=3211">reframed Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”</a> as a “cli-fi,” or climate fiction text, using the play as a vehicle to teach climate change.
Math education has not been spared either. <a href="https://www.nctm.org/atlanta2025/">The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’</a> (NCTM) <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/the-national-council-of-teachers-of-mathematics-2025-annual-meeting-features-sessions-on-black-feminist-mathematics-pedagogy-antiracist-math-equitable-grading-social-justice-and-whiteness/">2024 conference</a> features sessions on antiracist math, whiteness, and social justice.
One session, <a href="https://www.aievolution.com/ntm2501/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&amp;ev=1951">Reflecting on My Whiteness</a>, describes math itself as a “white, patriarchal space” and offers strategies to “confront the oppressive forces of whiteness” and “dismantle inequitable practices” in the classroom. <a href="https://www.aievolution.com/ntm2501/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&amp;ev=2046">Another highlights</a> how black women in math education “disrupt systems of oppression” and center “Black Girl Joy.” A third, <a href="https://www.aievolution.com/ntm2501/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&amp;ev=1930">Democracy and Data</a>, claims math should be used to advance democratic participation through a social justice lens.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) follows the same script. At its <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/b256b940-7874-4081-a4af-34edc50fd735/summary">July conference</a>, sessions focused on “racial harm,” “LGBTQIA+ allyship,” climate activism, and “mass mobilization training.” Teachers were also told to resist curriculum oversight as a political attack. In one session, the AFT admitted the obvious: the pandemic had a “devastating effect” on student literacy.
Yet, the same union that now bemoans literacy loss was a key player in lobbying to keep schools closed during COVID, a decision that fueled the very learning setbacks reflected in the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores. Despite <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Elementary_and_Secondary_School_Emergency_Relief_%28ESSER%29_funding_by_state?utm_">$190 billion</a> in federal COVID-19 relief funds, the data indicate a failing K–12 education system.
Meanwhile, many educators are turning to <a href="https://defendinged.org/ethnicstudies/">ethnic studies</a>, often presented through a victim–oppressor lens. The radical ethnic studies group, Xicanx Institute for Teaching and Organizing (XITO), held a <a href="https://www.xicanxinstitute.org/summer-2025">2024 Summer Institute</a> that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xitotucson/p/DKk82TWSPMe/">promoted</a> “decolonial popular education” and urged educators to view teaching as a political weapon. Its sessions featured activists tied to <a href="https://www.ethnicstudiespedagogies.org/gallery/07%20-%20TIAHUI%20-%20A%20Decolonial%20Framework.pdf">anti-Western and antisemitic rhetoric</a>, with the explicit goal of uniting street activism and classroom instruction. And yes, school districts are footing the bill with taxpayer dollars for teachers to attend.
The common thread across these trainings is the glorification of victimhood and activism, with teachers encouraged to turn students into activists for leftist causes. Rather than instilling confidence and agency, this mindset risks fostering learned helplessness, where students believe success is unattainable without intervention.
Summer training conferences are less about improving learning outcomes and more about transforming classrooms into engines of political activism — serving unions and activist groups, but leaving behind the very students schools are meant to serve.
* * *
Kendall Tietz is an investigative reporter for Defending Education.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-18-Sep-2025-09-53-AM-6641

The Public School Activist Pipeline: ‘A Joyous Rebellion’

Anti-Racism

Equity

LGBTQ

National Education Association

Teachers Unions

I started following Charlie Kirk the moment he stepped on the stage of American politics. I watched him mature in his role as founder of Turning Point USA, and I distinctly remember admiring him for shifting its mission with the realization that the battle for America was not just a political battle, but a spiritual one as well. I was so enamored that I used to imagine being on Charlie’s show — but who was I?
And then it happened. God gave me a chance to be courageous. As a teacher in Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia, one of the most controversial school districts in the country, I realized God’s truth was more important than my job security, and I took a stand. Alliance Defending Freedom represented me in a <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/cross-v-loudoun-county-school-board/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped">lawsuit</a> against LCPS’s transgender policy. We sued to protect free speech and religious freedom, and to advocate for the truth of God’s design.
Charlie Kirk was the first major media personality to invite us to share our story.
Charlie used his platform to take someone considered a “nobody” and elevate her. That is the kind of man he was. He looked to elevate others rather than himself. I have no doubt that, though I was represented by a prestigious legal organization, it was talking with Charlie on his show that made my witness visible and opened other opportunities for me to see God’s goodness in the midst of spiritual battle.
I’m a high school government teacher. I knew, even as I cried over the loss of Charlie and grieved for his wife and children, that I had many students who loved him. I needed the courage to go into school and talk with my classes about this tragic moment for our nation.
Here is what I said to all of my classes:
<blockquote>“One of Charlie Kirk’s repeated themes was how important it is to talk to one another. He often said when people stop talking, that’s when bad things happen. In a marriage, when people stop talking, divorce follows. In society, when people stop talking, that’s when violence happens. One of Charlie’s missions was to train a generation—your generation—how to do politics the right way, how to engage in honest, respectful civil discourse, especially with those whom you disagree.
“One of the things we’ll be learning in studying the Constitution is that there are two ways to govern people: by talking or by force. Democracies govern by talking. That means engaging respectfully with each other, arguing to persuade one another, discussing, negotiating, compromising, and deciding together how to move forward knowing not everyone is going to agree on everything but figuring out how to live together well even in our differences.
“Over the last few days we’ve learned about healthy and unhealthy civil society. The assassination of Charlie Kirk is the epitome of unhealthy civil society. Charlie believed in faith, family, and freedom. Because he was so confident in what he believed and spoke boldly about it, he was silenced…. Again, there are only two ways of governing people: by talking or by force. If we stop talking, there is only one other option.”</blockquote>
In 30 years, I’ve taught four generations of youth. In many ways, the kids of each generation have been the same — trying to grow up, find their identity, and navigate teenage angst. But over the last two years, I’ve noticed a shift.
For almost a decade, when it was time to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, almost no students recited it. Some even refused to stand. Now everyone stands and recites the pledge. I’ve noticed a hunger for truth and a desire for more than slogans.
Now, more students courageously express their faith in school. It’s not every kid, but it is enough to inspire hope, and I believe that Charlie Kirk’s mission is part of the reason for it. His movement has had a ripple effect, even on the kids who have not necessarily followed him. His footprint is that big.
Charlie Kirk was hated because he was confident in what he believed, gifted at persuading others, and a man of integrity. Proverbs 29:10 says, “The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright.” Jesus told his followers that “the world hates me, and they will hate you because of me.” Goodness evokes one of two reactions from people: hostility or attraction. Those who are attracted want to embrace and merge with that goodness. Those who are hostile to goodness see it as a threat. Simply living right and being a person of integrity will invite hostility.
To our youth: You have a choice. Now is the moment for courage, the time to decide to do what is right, even knowing that it may cost you greatly. My prayer is that this generation, inspired by Charlie Kirk, will stiffen their spines and stand to fight for the same virtues that he stood for so that we may win back the soul of America.
* * *
Monica Gill is a government teacher at Loudoun County High School.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Charlie Kirk Speaks At The Cambridge Union

A Teacher’s Tribute: What Charlie Kirk Taught Me And My Students

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Charlie Kirk

Christianity

Free Speech

Loudoun County

Turning Point USA

Virginia

Few things are more important than the education of our young people. 
That’s why, when the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released the <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/">Nation’s Report Card</a> earlier this week, I became concerned. Average scores among 8th and 12th grade students were lower across all three primary assessments — science, math, and reading. For example, only 22% of 12th graders were proficient at their level of mathematics and 35% were proficient at their level of reading.
Scores like these should remind all of us just how important a high-quality education is for every student. While these scores are discouraging, I believe when parents and students are given a choice in education and the right leadership is in place, we will see test scores like these go up, not down. 
Most students spend more awake time in school than at home during the week and thousands of families are counting on their state officials to deliver for their children. That’s why I’m running for governor of South Carolina, to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education – whether that’s their local traditional public school, a high-performing public charter school, or a high-quality private school. I am confident that there are thousands of outstanding teachers across South Carolina, but there are also gaps in excellence in far too many places.
I’ve spent my career in business and understand that competition makes everyone better. When traditional public schools are competing against private and public charter schools, it drives innovation, efficiency, and a desire for excellence. This free-market principle is what creates great organizations that serve people well, and it’s the same principle that will improve education for South Carolina students.
Status quo politicians and special interests have tried to pit education freedom against great public schools. I fundamentally reject this flawed argument. I attended public school and many of my grandchildren currently attend public school – and I strongly support education freedom. South Carolina parents deserve the opportunity to choose what’s best for their child.
Fortunately, South Carolina has made significant strides in improving student-centered education over the past few years, but we have room to grow. As governor, my mission will be to improve public education, increase education freedom, and ensure high school graduates are ready for a job or college.
We know what moves the needle in public education – great teachers in classrooms and great principals leading schools. The research is overwhelming: the quality of teachers and principals are two of the top in-school factors for student success. I firmly believe that leaders should make data-informed decisions, and that’s why, based on this research, we should be rewarding our top-performing teachers and principals across the state.
I want South Carolina to become the top destination in the country for the best and brightest teachers and principals. We should create a merit pay structure statewide that offers bonuses to educators who are top performers – and we should offer an extra incentive to educators who are willing to bring their high-quality instruction to low performing schools. Infusing the principles of the free market into public education will improve outcomes for students.
Concurrent with statewide merit pay, South Carolina must expand education freedom for all families in the state. Education freedom is about ensuring parents are empowered to exercise their God-given right to choose what’s best for their children. As governor, I will work every day to expand education freedom until every family has the opportunity to choose the best education for their child.
Finally, as governor, I am committed to dramatically expanding career and technical education in South Carolina. For too long, schools and businesses have been ships passing in the night. Schools enroll students in career and technical education without actually talking to businesses about what skills are needed in the workforce. I’ve spent most of my life in the private sector and I know what it takes to bring business leaders into the conversation and ensure our students are being prepared with the skills needed for family-sustaining jobs. When schools and businesses are working together for student success, the entire state wins.
Few things are more important than education. As governor, I will focus every day on leading with students at the center of the conversation. Education funding is a core function of government and it should be treated as a treasure to invest in our next generation’s education.
* * *
Ralph Norman was born and raised in South Carolina. After a successful career as a small business owner in real estate development, he entered into public service, first as a South Carolina State Representative, then as a U.S. Congressman in 2017. He’s now running to be the next Governor of South Carolina. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Open Book On Wooden Desk With Blurred Empty Classroom Background.

When Test Scores Drop, It’s Time For Real Education Reform

Charter Schools

Opinion

School Choice

South Carolina

Another day, another far-Left street protest.
It gets hard to keep up with the current “thing” as activists switch out causes like the average person changes underwear. Last month’s pro-Palestine protest is yesterday’s anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest is today’s pro-Iran protest.
But the issue is never the issue. The issue is the revolution.
Even more concerning is how K-12 schools have been infiltrated by organizations to serve as fertile recruiting and training grounds for the next generation of far-Left activists.
Leveraging (liberated) ethnic studies courses as an access point, these outside groups hide behind “history” and “culture” to advance their radical ideology and recruit students and staff into their ranks.
School districts, in order to comply with California’s Assembly Bill 101 (2021) which mandates that students in the class of 2029-30 complete one semester of ethnic studies, have been hiring far-Left organizations to assist in developing and implementing these course curriculums, as well as running professional development trainings and conferences for teachers.
For example, an early July <a href="https://www.xicanxinstitute.org/summer-2025">ethnic studies conference</a> in Arizona features a “Pre-Institute Field Day on the Border” which includes “visiting a desert surveillance tower with local organizers.” The participants will “examine how the same technologies are used against Palestinians.”
On May 13, 2025, Stockton Unified School District’s board <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/susd/Board.nsf/goto?open&amp;id=DFJRPV6F023F">approved</a> spending $28,000 to send ten ethnic studies educators to attend the institute.
One of the institute’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xitotucson/p/DKk82TWSPMe/">sessions</a>, titled “Education as a Front, A Weapon &amp; A Tool,” includes panelists such as the chair of the Association of Raza Educators (ARE) and co-founder of <a href="https://www.liberatedethnicstudies.org/guadalupe-carrasco-cardona.html">Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium</a> (LESMC), and the director of Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC).
According to the description on Instagram, the “panel of educators and organizers will share tactics on how we can join forces by highlighting their work in the streets and in the schools, and help us identify critical fronts for cross movement solidarity.”
Both ARE and AROC openly engage in far-Left street activism. ARE’s Instagram is filled with protest propaganda, including a February 23, 2023, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/raza_educators_la/reel/DGa7kIVvqKw/?api=Selesaikan+latihan+online+untuk+menghasilkan+uang%E3%80%90GB777.BET%E3%80%91.dprv&amp;hl=zh-cn">post</a> which shows members of ARE following ICE agents to their “home base.”
Additionally, AROC helped organize the blockade of the <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/pro-palestine-protesters-shut-down-bay-bridge-during-apec-summit">Bay Bridge</a> in 2023, and <a href="https://www.araborganizing.org/page/port-of-oakland-shutdown/">boasts</a> about shutting down the Port of Oakland in 2024 in support of Palestine.
In 2023, San Francisco Unified School District <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/goto?open&amp;id=CU2NLP607BD5">approved</a> a four year agreement with AROC to provide “workshops in classrooms related to leadership development and cultural empowerment.” AROC is a <a href="https://www.tides.org/partner/arab-resource-organizing-center-aroc/">fiscal project</a> of the Tides Foundation.
Not only are teachers being trained to advance far-Left activism, but the ideology has been embedded in ethnic studies curriculums, including how students are graded.
On June 18, 2025, Carlsbad Unified School District’s board <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/cusd/Board.nsf/goto?open&amp;id=DH9QS96AAC48">approved</a> a year-long elective ethnic studies course which includes units on studying and engaging in activism. Grading rubrics included in the draft document reveal that students are assessed on how well they advocate for “justice in speech and perspective” and recognize “equity as essential.”
In other words, students are taught to identify oppression and injustice (critical consciousness) and to act on it (praxis).
<a href="https://www.newsmax.com/politics/critical-competency-consciousness/2023/12/07/id/1145144/">Critical consciousness</a>, a primary concept in ethnic studies, teaches students to view everything using an oppressor — oppressed binary lens. The goal is to get the youth to constantly seek out new social justice causes to which they can attach themselves.
For example, a 2023 Pajaro Valley Unified School District board <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/pvusd/Board.nsf/files/CSZQCT67A8B9/$file/June%2028%20(23)%20Board%20Slides_%20CRE%20(1).pdf">presentation</a> reveals how the district integrated into its “Ethnic Literature and Studies “ course an “Ethnic Studies Praxis Story Plot” that replaces a traditional plot diagram with one steeped in critical consciousness. Students are taught to read stories in a circular fashion, moving from exposing the problem and recognizing the oppressed and oppressor classes, to “resistance and revolution” and how to apply the lessons to their own social justice activism.
Instead of seeking out meaningful resolutions and solutions, these courses, such as in Carlsbad and Parajo Valley schools, create perpetual social justice activists who bounce from one cause to the next in an effort to tear down the “oppressive” system and foment “revolution.”
While far-Left ethnic studies consultants make millions in consulting fees to advance their anti-Western Civilization ideology in schools, they are simultaneously turning K-12 students into the next generation of campus and street revolutionaries.
As liberated ethnic studies expands its tentacles across the country, parents, board members, administrators, teachers, and policymakers must grapple with this destructive ideology masquerading as “culture” and “history.”
The metastasis of these far-Left recruiting and training programs in our K-12 schools must be stopped.
American families deserve schools that teach children to read, write, and do math at the highest of standards — not indoctrination into social justice activism.
* * *
Rhyen Staley is the Research Director for Defending Education. He holds a master&#8217;s degree in elementary education and has over a decade of classroom experience in both public and private schools. He has over 25 years of volleyball coaching experience from Women’s Division I down to junior high.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-DEMONSTRATION-GOVERNMENT

The Revolution Will Be Graded: How Radical Activists Infiltrate K–12 Education

Democrats

Ethnic Studies

K-12

Protests

When I was growing up in Los Angeles, the bumper stickers proclaimed “Work Union, Live Better.”
For more than two decades as an educator, I lived by those words, serving actively in the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), even representing my colleagues in the House of Representatives.
But in January 2022, I made the difficult decision to leave the union I once cherished.
The U.S. District Court in Los Angeles will be deciding a landmark case brought by Jewish teachers — with the support of the Freedom Foundation — challenging UTLA’s legal status as their exclusive representative.
This case isn&#8217;t just about workplace discrimination. It’s about the transformation of a once-proud teachers’ union into a platform for anti-Semitism and radical politics.
The change began about six years ago when a group called Union Power seized control of UTLA’s leadership. Instead of focusing on teacher welfare, fair wages and workplace protections, it began pushing divisive social and political agendas.
The monthly union newspaper, which had long provided transparency into union operations, mysteriously ceased publication. UTLA’s new leadership endorsed the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and voted to demand the immediate cessation of U.S. aid to Israel.
The hostility toward Jewish members became increasingly overt. Jewish teachers have been systematically removed from online meetings for questioning anti-Semitic stances.
During a UTLA ethnic studies meeting, President Cecily Myart-Cruz declared the Museum of Tolerance — a Holocaust museum — the union’s “enemy.” At the same event, protesters shouted “F*** Israel” alongside calls for violence.
A UTLA chapter chair even taught students that life in Palestine was comparable to Holocaust concentration camps — a grotesque distortion of history that minimizes the systematic murder of six million Jews.
This isn’t about choosing sides in global conflicts. It’s about a union betraying its fundamental purpose — protecting and supporting all of its members, regardless of their faith or heritage.
The union’s increasingly toxic culture extends beyond anti-Semitism. The LAUSD headquarters houses what teachers grimly call the “Teachers in Trouble” room — essentially a holding pen where educators under investigation languish for days, weeks or months while UTLA does little to defend them.
It’s a stark example of how far the union has strayed from its mission to protect teachers.
After the election of President Trump, Myart-Cruz stoked racial tensions by warning that, “Parents of black and brown children really need to pay closer attention this week to their kids’ classes. Remember, 55 percent of white women voted for Trump, and they are nearly 80 percent of the teaching profession.”
During board meetings, union members openly maintain databases of parents who dare to speak out against their agenda. They’ve even threatened to visit dissenting parents at their homes.
UTLA collects nearly $120 monthly from each of its 30,000 members, totaling more than $43 million annually. Yet when teachers need real support, the union often fails them.
Its legal department routinely abandons educators facing workplace issues, forcing many to seek costly private representation. The union’s standard response to teachers in trouble has become a cynical question, “How close are you to retirement?”
The Freedom Foundation has been instrumental in exposing these practices and supporting teachers who wish to opt out of UTLA’s discriminatory regime. The ongoing legal challenge represents a crucial effort to hold this union accountable for its systemic failures and discriminatory practices.
While opting out of membership provides some relief, Jewish employees still face a fundamental challenge: Under current labor law, UTLA remains their exclusive bargaining representative regardless of membership status.
This means they continue to be associated with the union’s positions even after leaving.
Teachers unions should unite educators, not divide them. They should fight for better working conditions, not propagate hatred.
They should protect all members, not discriminate based on faith or ethnicity.
The reality is, UTLA has abandoned its core mission of protecting teachers’ rights and dignity in favor of anti-Semitic rhetoric and divisive politics. Until fundamental change occurs in UTLA’s leadership, I’ll keep my $1,440 in annual dues and my conscience clear.
Thanks to the Freedom Foundation, teachers have support in challenging UTLA’s discriminatory practices. This court case offers hope for change.
It’s an opportunity to hold UTLA accountable and remind them of their true purpose: supporting and protecting all educators, regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or political beliefs.
Our schools, our teachers and, most importantly, our students deserve nothing less.
* * *
Barry Blisten is a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

Los Angeles Skyline Palm Trees

I Teach In Los Angeles. Anti-Semitism Has Taken Over Our Union.

Anti-Semitism

antisemitism

Israel

Los Angeles

Pro-Hamas

An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/australia">Australia</a>-based high school <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/teachers">teacher</a> has failed to return to work after videos of her reportedly dressed as a cat went viral online.
A report by The Courier-Mail included complaints from students who accused the educator of referring to herself as “Miss Purr” and engaging in catlike behavior, such as hissing when students failed to comply with her demands, per social media complaints from parents.
The teacher was working at Marsden State High School in Logan City, south of Brisbane, when the alleged behavior occurred, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/08/lifestyle/queensland-teacher-allegedly-behaving-like-a-cat-in-class/">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
High school teacher reportedly identifies as cat, licks hands, hisses at students <a href="https://t.co/qrDRlPmlG8">https://t.co/qrDRlPmlG8</a> <a href="https://t.co/MU19V9zlF3">pic.twitter.com/MU19V9zlF3</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1888291108502806535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Photos and videos allegedly taken during class were published in the Australian outlet The Courier-Mail. The images depict the teacher wearing a cat ears headband during class and a rainbow lanyard with the word “purr” on it.
“She … forces the children to call her Miss Purr and cat screeches and growls when they don’t listen,” one Facebook commenter wrote. 
“She sits in class and licks her hands. It’s absolutely disgusting. Something needs to be done about this,” another comment said.
A Facebook commenter identifying herself as the mother of a student claimed her daughter was made to “purr” to get a lollipop. 
Another person who professed to be a relative of a student said their child “barks” at the teacher when they walk past.
“It’s more frustrating that the mainstream schooling and education system we are sending our kids to every day has teachers doing things like this,” that commenter said, per local news outlet <a href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/queensland-teacher-allegedly-behaving-like-in-a-cat-in-the-classroom-sparks-parent-concerns-c-17668308">7News</a>.
“I want teachers who I can rely on to teach my kids what they need in life and be someone they can look up to, which isn’t someone who wears ears,” that person added. 
A spokesperson for the Department of Education provided a statement to 7News, saying, “The school is aware of parents’ concerns and the principal has addressed the issue directly with the teacher.”
&nbsp;

An empty classroom

Australian Teacher Who Reportedly Dressed As A Cat, Hissed At Students Misses Work After Going Viral

Australia

Social Issues

World

In the 21st century, America’s public education system has emphasized one value over all others: inclusion. There is no more ubiquitous word in the public education system than this. Visit the campus or website of nearly any public school — whether it be an elementary school in rural Alabama or a university in California — and you will be inundated with references to the many permutations of the word. School administrators have spent billions of dollars on so-called inclusivity initiatives.
In fact, most public universities have established departments dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. By the time students graduate from college, they will have been instructed on the importance of “inclusion” countless times. Yet, decades of institutional emphasis on inclusion has not made students themselves more inclusive. America is far more divided on almost every measure than we were 25 years ago. And our disagreements are marked by suspicion and animosity towards people who think differently.
So, the question is: Why? Why did these efforts fail? The answer is simple: Actions speak louder than words. While mouthing the platitudes of inclusion, public school administrators have been simultaneously censoring, shutting down, and punishing anyone who expresses an opinion different than the school-approved orthodoxy. The examples are innumerable.
Middle school student <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/lm-v-town-middleborough?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liam Morrison</a> arrived at his Middleborough, Massachusetts, school one day wearing a T-shirt saying, “There are only two genders.” While his school openly advances the idea that gender is a limitless spectrum — and they encourage students to wear clothing supporting that idea — Liam decided to take a peaceful stance that biology matters when it comes to human sexuality.
For that, school officials first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/middle-school-banned-boy-from-wearing-two-genders-shirt-family-prepares-to-sue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demanded that he remove</a> his shirt. When he declined to take it off, they sent him home. Not long after, the school sent him to the principal’s office again when he wore a shirt saying, “There are [censored] genders.” Liam is currently pursuing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit denied him the right to free speech.
In 2022, <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/dejong-v-pembrook?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maggie DeJong</a> was a graduate student in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s (SIUE) art therapy program. Like most college students in America, Maggie posted on her social media accounts to discuss a variety of hot topics, including religion, politics, COVID-19 restrictions, and more. Maggie also expressed her opinion on these topics in class discussions and private messages to her fellow classmates, often taking a different viewpoint than other students.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1723831707612000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0pyrv88A5nsmWM2F2Wr9As">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
It’s normal to have disagreements. And it’s not unusual to feel hurt by a disagreement, even if the other person has all the best intentions in the world. What is not normal is government officials punishing students for discussing their own opinions.
Yet that’s exactly what SIUE officials did to Maggie when a student complained to the university, which then issued unconstitutional no-contact orders between Maggie and three other students. Alliance Defending Freedom, where I serve as a senior counsel and the director of the Center for Academic Freedom, helped Maggie sue the university. In the settlement in Maggie’s favor in 2023, the university agreed to change its no-contact rule policy and required three professors to undergo free speech training conducted by ADF attorneys.
Punishing people based on their speech isn’t just limited to students. <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/josephson-v-ganzel?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Allan Josephson</a> is a distinguished child psychologist who once was employed by the University of Louisville. Not only is he well-respected in his field, but he also took the university’s struggling Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology in 2003 and turned it around.
In 2017, Dr. Josephson was invited by The Heritage Foundation — in his own personal capacity — to speak about children struggling with gender dysphoria. Dr. Josephson cautioned against the rush to treat a child’s discomfort with their sex with irreversible medical procedures (a position that is increasingly being validated by health authorities throughout Europe). But, because his view clashed with other university officials’ positions, the school ostracized and ultimately fired Dr. Josephson. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit recently <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/6th-circuit-vindicates-louisville-professors-freedom-speech?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> in favor of Dr. Josephson, allowing the case to go on to the trial phase.
Schools that preach “inclusivity” are some of the worst offenders when it comes to excluding people for their beliefs — from middle school to graduate school; from students to faculty alike. That is the textbook definition of hypocrisy. Our kids know what it is even if they don’t have the word to define it. And they can tell that it’s wrong.
Kids learn the ABCs of civility from adults — always tell the truth, be open-minded, care for others — and then see their teachers act the exact opposite. This foments resentment and division, not unity. In other words, despite all of the emphasis on inclusion, America’s public schools are creating division, not inclusion.
How do we turn down the temperature of this ever-increasing rage that’s widening the division in our country? It may seem like a large task, but the first step is relatively easy: School officials have to practice what they preach. Inclusivity applies to everyone, not just those who express the government’s approved message. If we must follow the science, then follow the science, even if science disproves your preferred narrative.
And while all ideas must be open for expression (and equally open to question), appropriate boundaries must be drawn for how ideas are put to the test. Universities must enact and enforce rules that neutrally promote peace and civility, not a descent into violence and chaos. If school officials truly want to foster a culture of inclusivity and unity, they must lead by example.
Tyson Langhofer is senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with <a href="https://adflegal.org/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alliance Defending Freedom</a> (<a href="https://x.com/ADFLegal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@ADFLegal</a>).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Classroom

Public School Educators Don’t Practice The ‘Inclusivity’ That They Preach

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Leftism

Readers Pass

It was a normal night in St. Petersburg, Florida, when an elderly couple passed me by. Typical in Southwest Florida … until I realized the woman was wearing a mesh crop top and dog collar, and the man, a leather harness.
That was the first sign that something was … off. A few seconds later, another couple stood waiting to cross the street: a man in his 70s, arm-in-arm with a young girl, 21 at most, wearing an “I Love Daddy” t-shirt. Something DEFINITELY wasn’t right. I inquired to my friend, “What the hell is happening right now?”, without even realizing just how accurate the word “hell” was. Staring down at his phone, he replied, “Fetish Con is in town.”
Fetish Con? Did I just hear that correctly? Like, the feet-lovers and the furry people? That had to be the weirdest thing I’d ever heard. I had to go.
&#8220;Weird” didn’t do it justice, as you’re about to see. If you’re like me, you’ll want to laugh, but won’t be able to. You’ll be too busy worrying about your children, schools, our country, the consequences of the internet, and, well, life as we know it.
Let’s get into it.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-787455" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-3-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-3-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-3-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-3-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-3-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-3-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-3-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /></div>
As I approached the St. Petersburg Hilton, women were casually returning to their cars, topless save for the tape they wore to comply with the conference’s no-nudity policy, while men dressed in animalistic garb loitered near the entrance. The hotel&#8217;s interior was blocked from public view, with curtains guarding the entrance until tickets were purchased.
A hotel employee directed us to the vendor halls and, intriguingly, to something called &#8220;The Dungeon.&#8221; The name conjured images of childhood museum exhibits, but as I would learn a few minutes later, the reality was far from childhood innocence.
As I crossed the threshold into the event, the scene was surreal. An elderly man dressed as a baby—complete with a diaper, bib, and bonnet—sat alone. Whose grandfather was this? A mix of attendees filled the halls. Some dressed in outfits that appeared to be from Spirit Halloween and the majority dressed in…well…I don’t even think you could call them “dressed.”
Advertisements for adult sites plastered the elevator doors, while a red carpet photo op and a massive balloon display proclaimed “Fetish Con 22.” (Yes, this is the 22nd Fetish Con). As if things couldn’t get any stranger, a couple sat straddling each other on a strange piece of furniture I initially thought was hotel decor in the most vulgar display of PDA I&#8217;ve ever seen.
Off to a flying start.
Upon entering the first vendor hall, it became clear my outfit was not Fetish Con-appropriate, so I immediately purchased a pair of cat ears in an effort to blend in. The room was packed with booths offering every conceivable (and inconceivable) sexual accessory. A display sat in the back corner that allowed attendees to vote for their favorite fetish. The winner in St. Petersburg? Farting.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-789003" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/IMG_7239-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/IMG_7239-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/IMG_7239-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/IMG_7239-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/IMG_7239-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/IMG_7239-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/IMG_7239-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /></div>
It was around this time that I realized these people weren’t simply into the “typical” fetishes. A young woman hung (not hung out…literally hanging) at another vendor station while being degraded by a male employee. Whose daughter is that? And I was continually met with the sight of fresh bruising on the rear-ends and necks of women at literally every turn (I’d soon find out the source). Satanic imagery was scattered throughout the halls, adding an unsettling layer to an already bizarre atmosphere.
Finally, I made it to The Dungeon.
The Dungeon required visitors to put away their phones — a rule strictly enforced by event staff.  I slipped my phone into my clear purse and the employee declared, “Any purse except that.”
That should have been my first red flag.
My cat ears couldn’t mask my shock upon entering. I was greeted by a dimly-lit room with a series of stations where attendees could engage in acts of submission and domination, each one more disturbing than the last. The two stations near the door sat empty, manned by an older male employee eagerly awaiting his next guest. The sight was enough to make me want to leave immediately.
My friend and I looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed, “Yup, we’ve seen enough.” We made our way to the exits, but not before being handed a pamphlet promoting a production company with the title, “Have You Accepted Satan As Your Lord and Personal Savior?”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-787457" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-2-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-2-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-2-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/FETCON-2-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /></div>
The implication was clear: this was more than just a niche community — it was a culture with its own insidious undertones.
After returning home I took to “X” to explain what I saw, carefully trying to withhold too much judgment until I had more time to process what I had just seen. My post quickly went viral, amassing over 8.5 million views.
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Update: I lasted approximately 24 minutes at Fetish Con.
The first person I saw upon entering was an old man dressed as a baby, followed by countless women covered in only tape, men wearing stripper heels, and couples guiding each other around with dog leashes. I turned to my… <a href="https://t.co/YAjHXIU7cn">https://t.co/YAjHXIU7cn</a> <a href="https://t.co/xOJda54lMN">pic.twitter.com/xOJda54lMN</a>
— Billie Rae Brandt (@BillieRaeBrandt) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillieRaeBrandt/status/1822438275954426035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Since then, I’ve been inundated with messages from Fetish Con attendees, adult film stars, and fetish-community advocates. Some are from men who want to send me money — another fetish I haven’t been able to figure out.
But most of the messages were vicious, including sexual harassment and threats of violence. These messages challenged my initial belief that these people were simply troubled — they were possessed by something far darker and depraved than I could have imagined. These were people who would stop at nothing to drag the rest of us into their twisted worldview.
One of the most striking responses came from a teacher with a master’s degree in education who claimed this community as her “life.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-787461" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-27-at-3.39.07%E2%80%AFPM-479x576.png" alt="" width="479" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-27-at-3.39.07%E2%80%AFPM-479x576.png 479w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-27-at-3.39.07%E2%80%AFPM-250x300.png 250w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-27-at-3.39.07%E2%80%AFPM-768x923.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-27-at-3.39.07%E2%80%AFPM.png 1102w" sizes=" (max-width: 479px) 100vw, 479px" /></div>
It was a reminder that the people I encountered at Fetish Con were not just fringe members of society: they were our neighbors, our colleagues, and, perhaps most disturbingly, the ones teaching our children.
But of all the hate hurled my way during the Fetish Con saga, this was the insult that caused my lightbulb moment.
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And if you influence anything, it is probably ignorance. I am sad you didn’t take the time to see what this gathering of like minded people brings to others. Love. Joy. Friendship. 
Sometimes the family we choose is more impactful than the family we are born with.
— AuthenticallyKinky &#8211; Official Podcast @Fetishcon (@authkinkypod) <a href="https://twitter.com/authkinkypod/status/1823764398655119531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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This was an attendee at Fetish Con who claimed that “sometimes chosen family is more impactful than the family we are born with.” And I guess that’s the point, isn’t it?
Why did this person leave that family and “choose” this one? Was her family really that bad? Or were they simply groomed into this culture and taught to hate their family along the way?
This culture is, increasingly, our culture. As we become more and more addicted to instant, short-term gratification, we are slowly losing our basic humanity. Excessive pornography consumption can shrink the frontal lobe, which is responsible for executive functions like decision-making and a dysregulation of the body’s dopaminergic system – in other words, your ability to break bad habits and learn new ones.
The relentless pursuit of dopamine highs dulls the appeal of “normal” sexual experiences, diminishing the capacity for meaningful relationships and driving individuals toward increasingly extreme behaviors. You get into a certain type of person, a certain type of act, then a more extreme person willing to engage in that act, then an even more extreme act… and the cycle continues until porn is your only option for gratification.
Either that, or you embed yourself in the only community that doesn’t see you as damaged and is willing to enable this cycle in a real, tangible way.
It’s easy to rationalize extreme and bizarre in a group setting — no one’s a freak at Fetish Con. But the more we tolerate this behavior, the more we allow it to enter and shape mainstream society. That’s how we end up with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sam-brinton-dress-wearing-ex-biden-official-who-stole-womens-luggage-gets-cushy-plea-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fetish-loving</a>, non-binary kleptomaniacs working high up in the federal government. It’s how we end up with a trans-identifying man bearing his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-faces-backlash-after-trans-activist-goes-topless-at-white-house-pride-event-a-disgrace-to-our-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fake breasts</a> on the White House Lawn.
It’s how you wind up with Fetish Con enthusiasts teaching young children.
A few weeks ago, I got some bad news: Fetish Con had <a href="https://x.com/BillieRaeBrandt/status/1825536091711017441" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked me</a> on X. I guess that means I can’t attend next year. But that’s alright. I’ve seen enough to last a lifetime.
Besides, at the rate we’re going, we may all be living in Fetish Con before we know it.

MixCollage-30-Aug-2024-05-04-PM-8863

What I Saw At Fetish Con

Florida

Pornography

As Minnesota Governor Tim Walz comes under fire for making misleading claims about his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walz-repeatedly-misconstrued-his-military-service-here-are-the-examples" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military service</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-lie-tim-walz-did-not-use-ivf-to-start-family-as-hes-repeatedly-claimed-in-attacks-against-trump-ticket" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IVF treatments</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-admits-tim-walz-campaign-lied-about-his-drunk-driving-arrest-numerous-times" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drunk driving arrest,</a> it seems the vice presidential nominee has also made dubious claims about winning teaching awards.
A Daily Wire review found several claims that Walz, a former high school teacher, won either one or two Minnesota Teacher of the Year awards. In reality, he won no such title.
In a 2005 article in the Austin Daily Herald, a reporter who appears to have gotten his information directly from Walz wrote that “Twice, [Walz] was selected a Minnesota teacher of the year for ethics and excellence in education.”
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A local paper&#8217;s glowing profile of Tim Walz in 2005:
Walz &#8220;served a tour of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom&#8221;
&#8220;He was deployed overseas with his National Guard field artillery unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom.&#8221;
It appears the reporter interviewed Walz for this piece&#8230;🤔 <a href="https://t.co/ID3Q2Fm4jE">pic.twitter.com/ID3Q2Fm4jE</a>
— Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) <a href="https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1822097731193622593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Walz&#8217;s <a href="https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/65443/tim-walz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biography</a> at VoteSmart lists three teaching awards — a 2002 “Ethics in Education,&#8221; award, a 2003 Minnesota Teacher of Excellence award, and the 2003 Mankato Teacher of the Year award.
In a 2006 congressional campaign ad, a voiceover simply claims that Walz was “teacher of the year,”  leaving the impression Walz won a state or national award.
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Here is another example of Tim Walz using his Command Sergeant Major rank in a 2006 campaign ad. Walz even implies that he served in Afghanistan.
This is a full year removed from his demotion from a CSM-E9 to a MSG-E8.
This is textbook Stolen Valor.<a href="https://t.co/i0I47TBeyI">pic.twitter.com/i0I47TBeyI</a>
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrageDustin/status/1822954250541937135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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A 2006 <a href="https://www.csc.edu/news/2006/csc-graduate-elected-to-congress.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> from Walz’s alma mater, Chadron State College, claimed &#8220;In 2002, Walz was one of six Minnesota teachers to receive a $10,000 award recognizing their high performances and contributions to the teaching profession. He also received an Ethics in Education award from the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation.”
Walz&#8217;s 2018 campaign website reportedly claimed he won the 2003 Minnesota Teacher of Excellence award, <a href="https://www.ontheissues.org/2024/Tim_Walz_Education.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to On The Issues</a>, which cites the website. The website no longer exists, and instead redirects visitors to Vice President Kamala Harris’ main campaign website.
But Walz was never selected as a Minnesota Teacher of the Year recipient. A  <a href="https://educationminnesota.org/news/awards-and-honors/teacher-of-the-year/past-recipients/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> for the award includes a list of past nominees – and Walz’s name does not appear.
Walz did win the Mankato Teachers’ Association’s Teacher of the Year award — a prize given by members of the local teachers’ union — in 2002.
In 2003, Walz won an Ethics Award from the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation, which comes with a $10,000 prize. But this is not a “Teacher of the Year” award, nor is it two awards, as the Chadron State College article claimed.
Walz has won two awards related to his teaching, but he did not win any statewide “Teacher of the Year” awards, as his campaign has led many to believe.
The governor&#8217;s claims about his awards are similar to misleading statements he has made about his military service. He served honorably, but he did not see combat in the Middle East or retire as a command sergeant major, as he has claimed or implied multiple times.
Requests to Walz and the Harris-Walz campaign were not returned prior to press time.

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