More East Bay Times Assaults on Common Sense and Childhood Innocence

 

August, 2023:  the East Bay Times still publishes left-wing editorials masquerading as "news."  Newer EBT  education-beat reporter Elissa Miolene filed two August stories (here and here) in which she relied upon outside third parties  — the "Southern Poverty Law Center" and the "Trevor Project" — as convenient proxies for her own apparent views.  

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Both are highly compromised outfits.  Regarding the corrupted SPLC, see here, here, here, and here. 

As for the Trevor Project and its purported suicide rates of transgenders: see here for starters.  The Trevor Project data is best understood as an exercise in selection bias; its latest report involves persons solicited during September 1 through December 12, 2022, reportedly from U.S. residents aged 13 to 24, who were “recruited via targeted ads on social media.”

Moms for Liberty ("M4L"), badly misrepresented by the first of the East Bay Times/Elissa Miolene articles above, responded with its own opinion editorial, to correct the record.  But the Times editorial staff rejected the M4L article, leaving the SPLC defamation and reporter Miolene's other biases as the distorted narrative for readers. 

Below is the Moms for Liberty submission, rejected by the Times, consistent with the paper's growing disregard for truth:

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Moms for Liberty Have Legitimate Concerns:

Many families flock to communities which comprise the San Ramon Valley Unified School District because they’ve heard that schools here are highly accredited.  They realize quickly that they also enjoy the picturesque scenery, quaint downtowns, and civic spirit they find in the area.
 

But just as in other school districts here and across the country, parents here have become concerned with supplemental education affecting their children in neighborhood schools.  Moms for Liberty (M4L), a national organization with local chapters, was formed in response.  

Our mission is not one of “FEAR AND HATE” as alleged in this paper’s August 17 headline; instead, it’s one of organizing, educating, and empowering parents to defend their rights, consistent with federal law. 

Our children’s well-being is thereby our ultimate intention — presumably also the goal of angry opponents at August 15’s SRVUSD Board meeting.  But paraphrasing two of SRVUSD’s own stated policy objectives:  we want our family values respected, and academics not to be displaced by indoctrination. 

Some of our concerns: 
 

• SRVUSD elementary-school personnel who’ve publicly described “their experiences of queering the classroom,” with LGBTQ-themed read-aloud books front and center, even for transition kindergarteners (4 and 5-year-olds).
   

• “Gender Support Plans” using forms supplied by “Gender Spectrum,” undisclosed to parents unless children, again even transition kindergarteners, give permission.  Parent permission is required to administer aspirin, but not to facilitate “gender identity” changes?  That’s insane.

 

• 4th and 5th grade LGBTQ “PRISM Clubs,” for which parental OPT-IN permission slips were ended in 2021.  After national exposure, they were later restored, but only in OPT-OUT form.  Meetings are held during lunchtime to “eliminate a little bit [more] of that parent interaction.”

 

• PRISM Club recruitment videos shown during class time.
   

• LGBTQ “Day of Silence” segregation in middle schools, resulting in reverse bullying for kids not participating.  
   

These supplemental exercises can be seen at many schools across Contra Costa County, with administrators and teachers appropriating parental authority unto themselves. 

They violate the letter and spirit of 20 U.S. Code section 3401(3), which asserts that PARENTS are the primary educators of their children, and that governmental institutions are to SUPPORT that parental role.

One expressed rationale for concealing children’s school-revealed “gender identities” or sexual orientations from parents is the supposition of an abusive parental response.   But school personnel are mandated reporters of suspected abuse, and the concealments mentioned above generally occur now without any such suspicion or allegation.

Parents are requesting simple policy changes that would help to avoid school-based compromise of their family values and religious beliefs:
 

• OPT-IN parental permission for supplemental LGBTQ education and activities in grades TK-5;
   

• OPT-OUT parental permission for minors’ LGBTQ supplemental education and activities in grades 6-12;

 

• Calendar postings of read-alouds and other events which may interfere with family values.

 

• At parent request, parental notice when children borrow discernibly controversial books from school libraries.
   

The “FEAR AND HATE” story’s mention of a social media “leaflet” needs clarification.  During our first M4L meeting this summer, a parent presented personal experiences and resultant concerns at a particular SRVUSD elementary school. 

A “Stop Moms for Liberty” member, posing as one of our concerned parents, took a copy of the parent’s typed notes, then posted same anonymously on the “Parents of SRVUSD” Facebook page, where a current moderator is also a determined “Stop Moms for Liberty” activist.

That “leaflet” artifice represented a cynical attempt to conflate our group’s actual objectives with the tentative thoughts of one meeting attendee, thereby to discredit moms (and dads) who are legitimately worried about our kids and THEIR experiences in local schools.