It’s been a few weeks since these testimonies were delivered to the Alaska Legislature, but we believe it’s important to let Alaskans know exactly which public school teachers oppose parental rights in education.
Ever since Gov. Mike Dunleavy introduced House Bill 105, scores of educators have flooded multiple legislative hearings with emails, letters and in-person testimonies opposing the legislation, which requires parental notification and permission before educators discuss sexual matters – including gender identity – with students. It also stipulates that schools get written permission from parents before changing the names or pronouns schools use in referring to a child, and it bars schools from selectively withholding a child’s health information from parents. Finally, the bill aims to safeguard a student privacy by requiring schools to separate bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex.
While HB 105 is a long shot to become law, it did make it out of the House Education Committee, and now sits in the House Finance Committee.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
The teachers, highlighted below, are but a small fraction of the total number of school employees who have vehemently opposed the governor’s attempt to strengthen parental rights. For readers who wish to review the hundreds of pages of testimony, here’s the link. Scores and scores of teachers are on record opposing the parental rights legislation.
This article highlights nine educators from Juneau, Anchorage, Kodiak and elsewhere. Some expressed open distain for parents who don’t buy into their child’s gender confusion. Whenever possible, we identify the teachers, schools and districts so parents can reach out to those with direct authority. These testimonies were given during the April 13-14 House Education Committee hearing.
EDUCATORS WHO OPPOSE PARENTAL RIGHTS BILL
CURIN MARKS: Marks teaches English at Thunder Mountain High School in Juneau. Speaking about the need to affirm LGBTQ students, she said HB 105 attacks the so-called “ally educator.” She noted that she has a gay brother, as well as a son who “transitioned” in high school.
“He sought out a safe place he needed – from an accepting understanding teacher,” she said.
Marks then suggested that God created the various gender identities that certain students now identify with, and said teachers should be empowered to encourage children to embrace their preferred sexual identity. She claimed House Bill 105 was akin to a “witch hunt” against good LGBTQ-allied teachers.
CHEYENNE CUELLAR: Cuellar didn’t identify where she works, but said she teaches reproductive health in an Alaska school. She opposed a provision in the bill that requires teachers to send out permission slips before she can talk about sexual topics with her students. Cuellar said such a policy would just take up her valuable time.
CALLIE CORNERTON: Cornerton wore rainbow colored feather earrings during her public comments.
“In my classroom we respect diversity and talk about the importance of being yourself, and being true to who you are,” she said, before then complaining that the parental rights bill “limits the empathy that I can show and discuss to my classroom.”
“The students who will be most affected are the students who need my guidance the most,” Cornerton claimed. “And it’s important to have differences represented in the classroom in a positive way.” She said this includes representing “different types of families” and gender identities, both in class and in materials.
Cornerton added that she thinks teachers should be able to keep kids safe and “not feel like we might be doing something illegal by listening to a student and being a safe person for them, particularly when people in their home lives may not be.”
JACQUELINE BACHER: Bacher has been an educator in Juneau for the past nine years. In her comments she said that “teaching is not the only thing that you do” as an educator.
“The role of a teacher is one that is very complicated,” she said, before claiming that “being a safe and trusted individual for an individual that does not have that at home is one of the most important duties that you undertake when you agree to become an educator.”
Bacher, who identifies as a “member of the LGBTQ community, stated her opposition to the fact that HB 105 would require her to get parental permission before she was able to “discuss matters of sexuality” with her students. In particular, she wanted to be able to freely discuss her LGBTQ family life with kids.
KRISTIE WALL: Wall is a recently retired kindergarten teacher in Kodiak. She expressed concern that the parental rights bill might hinder teachers’ ability to create a “safe environment” for LGBTQ students, something she claims is more important that good test scores. She opposed the legislation because it might cause teachers to “second guess” their actions.
JACOB BERA: Bera is a teacher in the Anchorage School District, where the district has an explicit policy directing educators to conceal a students gender identity and pronouns from parents they deem unsupportive. Bera claimed that schools should be focused on making transgender and gender non-conforming students comfortable. He then lauded the Anchorage districts practice that includes hiding key information from parents.
TONYA MOSER: Moser is a recently retired Juneau teacher. She claimed that the public just needs to “trust teachers,” and that “nobody is indoctrinating anyone.”
Moser then shared a story about a gender-confused student who confided in her, and she helped conceal the child’s gender dysphoria from the parents. She said HB 105 would harm kids who don’t have parents who are on board with their gender transitioning.
Moser also happens to be the parent of a child who claims to be transgender.
KRISTIN GARUT: Garut is the principal of Yaakoosge Daakahidi High School in the Juneau School District. A 25-year educator, she wants schools to teach sex education to children in 4th grade and younger.
She adamantly opposed any legislation requiring schools to get parental permission before letting gender-confused students use the bathrooms of the opposite sex. Likewise, she thinks teachers should be able to use whichever gender-specific pronouns they want when referring to kids without getting prior parental permission to do so. She said parents should not have a say in this matter, but it should be left to schools.
MAGGIE KNULL: Knull is a Juneau educator who identifies as “teacher and queer ally.”
“I was thinking of all of the students I have had this year who have come out to me,” she said. “I know that I am a safe and trusted adult, and a student is not always prepared to talk to their parents about their lives.”
She said she wants to give her students whatever advice she deems appropriate without waiting to get parental consent.
SAMUEL MARCH: March teaches at Bartlett High School in Anchorage. He claimed that “transgender youth face intese and harmful transphopia and hate from family and peers resulting in depression and self-harm.” He then said those who support HB 105 are hateful religious zealots, who are motivated by “irrational fear stoked by demagoges.”
57 Comments
Looking at online public records, it looks like Cheyenne Cuellar is a Juneau resident. Why is it mostly Juneau teachers that seem to have the most strength to get stuff pushed through? Our Capitol Building needs to be moved to an area where the People of Alaska can affordably and easily go to the capitol, so that the entire state has fair representation and power like the constitution was supposed to afford us.
While there have been movements over the years to move the state capital to either Anchorage or Fairbanks, Juneau has remained the capital. This is because both Anchorage and Fairbanks are large cities, and most Alaskan people do not want either city to have undue influence in the state’s government. Juneau is between these two large cities and fits the criteria perfectly for the kind of state capital most of the people in Alaska desire.
A movement in the 1970s to move the state capital to Willow, which is seventy miles north of Anchorage, also failed. People who supported Juneau as the state capital convinced voters in Fairbanks to approve a ballot measure called the FRANK Initiative that requires voter approval of all bondable construction costs before building a new building can begin. including a new state capitol building in a new town or city. The people of Alaska voted against spending $900 million to build a new capitol building in Willow, so the capital remained Juneau. Measures to move the capital from Juneau in 1984 and 1996 also failed to pass the approval of Alaska voters. Juneau is still the capital of Alaska.
Note: Alaskan legislators were heavily invested in Juneau real estate .
Kathy, I do not believe that you have your facts correct. I believe that most Alaskans want the state capitol to be within driving distance for as many Alaskans as possible. With all of the tyranny in our government these last three years, people want access to the People’s House. Fairbanks and Anchorage have been taken over by democrats who do not represent the majority of the People. In the 1970s, if I remember correctly, the move was approved by the People in a vote. For some reason, legislation did not put the funding in – OR they spent the funding – to get the move done. This was also around the time that the globalists started concentrating on taking over Alaska, so I assume that the move did not happen due to outside influence. Tyranny, in the form of a small group of socialistic Marxists, has gotten a strong hold on Alaska’s reigns and fooled the People of this state. People are waking up and changes are going to happen. I believe that eventually the People’s House will be moved to a centrally-located place because Alaskans want the move and the majority have woken up to the ill-willed outside influence.
You are so right! That’s why the legislators who often come from the lower 48 don’t want it moved! They come here with their lower 48 ideals and could care less about the majority of Alaskans or their opinions! They are trying their best to turn Alaska into just another woke state, and staying in Juneau prevents the majority of objections from taking place!
It’s very apparent reading this article, these teachers think they’re correct and the parents are all wrong. I think what we need is all these teachers to be fired. Our kids are at the bottom of the scale anyway so what do we have to lose? If we can’t find teachers and parents can’t homeschool the kids aren’t any worse off. It’s obvious these teachers aren’t teaching them anything but WOKE crap and LGBTQ+ B.S. I say the state needs to step up and form a health clinic with psychiatrist in it for these kids. Give them the help they need. By coddling them when they grow up and get out of school, what are they going to do? Become a band o robbers, murder kids in schools, theaters and churches? They need help. Let’s get them the help while they’re young and can be trained – not put them in prison for life and pay for them to be unproductive. We have enough people there already. GET THEM HELP at an early age. Get rid of teachers that are promoting this crap.
We showed God the “door” in public education in the mid-to-late 1960’s and guess who replaced God Almighty in public school? I think you know the replacement’s name. He goes by many names and he’s twisted the minds of these so-called educators into believing they stand above all parental rights. All-knowing, all-seeing, all-righteous teachers as sick as Satan can make them…and that’s pretty sick.
Agreed! My kids are all adults now. But I don’t think I would send my kids to public schools today in a climate where they are taught to disrespect parents and anything involving traditional morals. This bill doesn’t disrespect children or even teachers who are trans. It just states that parents need to be involved and have a say in how their children are treated and addressed in schools!
These atheists who are against parents seem to think they know what is best. I have three articles that confirm that gender dysphoria is a mental illness that is curable with conversion therapy. (1)”California Public Schools’ Sex Ed changes “Horrific.’ Psychologist says.” Printed in May 13, 2019 [Epoch Times] (2) Dr. Paul McHugh who worked at John Hopkins Hospital and had performed mutilation, etc. and he observed that it did not help. He states from experience that gender dysphoria is a mental illness. (3) “Junk Sex versus Sacred Sex” Eagle Forum Report, February 2020.
Many of these educators who are against parents may have this mental illness, They are putting unacceptable pressure on kids to believe the gender lies. The kids have a period when they are not ready for this perversion in their lives. (I am a retired school teacher.)
Those with this mental illness should not be in leadership positions until they get help and are cured. Mentally ill educators should not have the power to influence our kids into confusion. There are two genders period.
A “12 year old in Massachusetts destroys School Board After School Allegedly Sent Him Home for Shirt He was Wearing”, from The Western Journal, MA, May 1, 2023. This gender ideology movement in Fairbanks came from UAF on down to lower grades. These immoral activities are meant to destroy the moral values of Western Civilization. The communist goals are to destroy the church, demoralize the kids and attack families.
Families are the foundation of America that created the most stable and successful citizens.
We read the WHO (world health organization) which was printed fifty years ago that gender dysphoria was a mental illness. Pressure was put upon them to delete the factual statement. Those who did that did not want to face the problem but instead, hid it and worked to change us. The WHO observations were valid and had not been deleted when we read them.
Attacks against the church, moral values and the family are ways to convert the kids into communists. Obama has been working toward this for many years and was groomed for this in Illinois prior to his presidency. (Read Obama’s America by Dinesh D’Sousa.) As a community organizer Obama has used the unions all over the country to spread the propaganda behind the backs of school boards. Obama has had three terms in offices and is looking forward to a 4th term through his wife Michelle, if she wins the White House.
Quoting Obama:” America is not a Christian nation.” Obama was out to”fundamentally transform” America. He said. (Conservative Caucus) Obama famously described the U.S. Constitution as having “deep flaws.” Be aware of the reality and correct the wrong statements you hear your kids make against this country. For accuracy on slavery go to Thomas Sowell’s essay. ,(Sowell is a brilliant black economist.).
Obama through Biden removed the 1776 curriculum and put into gov’t school curriculum the 1619 Project which is a lie/distortion that is in the government school curriculum.
CRT is a lie made to divide us. We are all one blood and only have melanin to change our colors. According to Ken Ham and geneticist he has quoted. All of our skin is brown. The melanin makes the different colors. Darwin used the colors to demean some people over others. Evolution is the lie that is all over the media especially PBS kids and kids programs. Evolution is the foundation of this mess we are in.
Intelligent Design by a Creator is the Truth. Many of us have been watching this destruction of America unfolding starting with the “dumbing down” of the kids with the Common Core.
We are praying that the truth will come out. The fake media reports a different story. Compare it with Epoch Times or other conservative media. Just keep track and speak up as much as possible. Don’t be pushed around. Call the school boards to accountability to find out what is in the government curriculum. Keep praying. Push back is happening in parts of the country including the Mat-Su, thankfully.
Amen! Thank you for the information-packed, inspirational comment Ruth! We keep praying and are looking forward to the day that God Almighty deems that it is “GO TIME!”
There are no “genders”. They made that word up to promote the “gender” spectrum which is used to excuse sexual perversion. There are two SEXES. Stop saying there are 2 genders. Thats incorrect. There are 2 sexes. They are busy changing the meanings of words day and night, using google search and wickipedia to twist reality and create new meanings. When the next generation comes up they will be screwed, literally and figuratively.
Evolution is a lie? But you believe in a global flood, virgin birth and dead men living again. You have no credibility.
Lucinda, evolution is a lie. According to Yhwh’s Word, there was a global flood, a virgin birth did happen, and dead men were brought to life again. YOU have no credibility. God wins in the end Lucinda.
It’s both sad and dangerous that communistic, woke, socialist and damaging philosophies are pushed in the colleges across our entire country! The colleges have become the most anti-traditional, unaccepting, self righteous beds of immoral people out there! They are trained that they know more than anyone else and that parents are just dumb, unaccepting problems that they need to work around! It’s sick and disgusting! The problem starts with the colleges and our state should start addressing what is acceptable curriculum for teaching students (and social sciences of all sorts)
What a crock of crap. Presidents don’t get 3 terms and Michelle Obama isn’t even a politician! Lol
You quoted a chinese-cult-funded news article of a medical person’s opinion that wasn’t subject to peer review. Nice ‘evidence’ lol. The other one…isn’t that the guy that claims he invented vaccines and e-mail? Lol.
Conversion therapy is illegal in so many places because it equates to torture.
Why do these teachers, who are really just strangers to our kids really, think they have rights to our children? How many “gender confused” kids have ended up happy and healthy due to the ministration of these strangers? Apparently these teachers think they are a better influence on our kids than parents, who bore them, raised them, and care deeply about every one of them. I’m waiting to hear how these kids are horribly abused by their parents for becoming “gender-confused,” but there are no stories because it doesn’t happen. Red herrings are no way to make laws.
So well said. I would add, that these teachers and other adults better take note, they are definitely predators, and cultish as much as perverted. Keep pushing out parents, you are going to be on the losing side of this issue. Nobody gets to prey on our children and brainwash them to not trust their parents and then groom them. Really sick… it seems all the white vans with candy are in the teachers parking lots.
Nobody is preying on your children for hell’s sake. Have you visited your kid’s classroom?
PLEASE take your children out of these woke schools now, before it’s to late.
Before your own child turns you into the authorities, because you took there phone away.
Any teacher that goes against parents rights should be Fired.
It’s everywhere not only the schools.June is GP month the Dysphoric weirdo army will be out in full force.Twerking in the park anyone?
“Their”
Thank-you for publishing the names of these predators.
Predators are people who track kids or others for evil purposes. Kind of like catholic priests.
You should be more worried about Donald Trump being set loose on society again.
The percentage of Catholic Priests who are sexual predators is far lower than the percentage of school teachers who are sexual predators. But you obviously wouldn’t know any actual facts.
Looks like you misspelled your name… ” T ” ..Wanna find “predators”.. Look on the D” side of the aisle’.
Are these educators required to have a mental assessment done in addition to a standard background check? There are failures at all levels here starting at the top.
Corporate America is trying to cancel Mother’s Day. This all goes along with these pushes from the left to blend the genders! Do your own internet search and look at the different places talking about this. http://www.capoliticalreview.com/capoliticalnewsandviews/wtf-corporate-america-is-canceling-mothers-day/
The Kachemak Bay Family Planning peer instructed sex education curriculum that has been taught in Kenai Peninsula high schools for 4 years ( by the high school peers who were indcotrinated by KBFP) and has “intersex” as its foundational premise. Intersex is a term defined by the United Nations Health Commissioner, which reads “People who have genitals, chromosomes, or reproductive organs that dont fit into male/female sex binary.” The description goes on to assert that “chromosome patterns” that are nonbinary beginning before birth. This is medically and biologically false information. So at the core of the lies the LGBTQ’s believe is that they are born with irregular patterns of chromosomes, and they are teaching our kids this untruth!! As if teens already in the midst of identity issues at that age need this added misinformation to further confuse them! No wonder the depression and suicide rate for LGBTQ girls has increased 41% in recent years. ( The LGBTQ instructors blame this increase on the peer bullying and nonacceptance by parents of students’ new sexual identity). I spoke with a local doctor who said this intersex idea based on chromosome patterns is complete bunk. He said he has never seen a true sexually nonbinary person in 50 years of practice and that these ” different chromosome patterns” are normal ( sometimes we have a double y or x chromosome) and do not have an affect on gender expression. He is even willing to be a guest speaker in our school classrooms to lay down these medical facts to our kids. We have got to get truth into our schools. But the LGBTQ’s have stirred up so much anger against “truth”, ( transgender hate crime violence is up 64%), that it will have to be God that opens the way. We are not fighting flesh and blood, but spiritual strongholds. We must be on our knees in repentance ( for allowing God and prayer to be removed from schools in the first place) and prayer! Meanwhile arm your kids with the truth at home, or pull them out of these schools that think wokeism is more important to teach, than the three R’s!
Another reason to get your kids out of public schools.
Show these and all who disregard the rights of parents and stick the state with expensive gender change operations the pink slip. Period.
Shelia aren’t you the same one that can’t figure out why people are infuriated at your uncle dunleavy? Certainly if he gave a sh*t his red pen is full of ink and he’s the very one who ought to be writing the pink slips! Address your uncle instead of posting your outrage here!
At the April 4, 2023 hearing the following are the educators who testified that are from Fairbanks. I did not hear the testimonies from the hearing that Joel is referring to. I am sure there are more from Fairbanks than what I have noted: 1) Kristen Kelly, FNSB Assembly member and counselor :”The governor’s bill HB 105 is ridiculous. I am a school counselor and know the damage this bill, if passed would cause…This bill would take away the only safe place for a lot of kids.”
2) Michelle Robinson, Lathrop HS, who teaches joga, health and literature opposed parental permission before talking about sexual topics. The bill would prevent her talking to kids about sex. “There are many parents who do NOT educate their children this way.” Robinson expressed worry that the bill might get her in trouble.” 3) Betty Turner: 15 year volunteer educator in Fairbanks elementary, middle and high schools. Urged lawmakers to pass requirements for inclusive sex ed…for kids who self-identify as LGBTQ.” 4) Amy Gallaway teaches CIVICS at West Valley High in Fairbanks. Requiting parental permission to change a student’s pronouns would “render most classrooms a bureaucracy of permission slips….HB 105 attacks LGBTQ kids.”
Other educators did not reveal their location in Alaska.
My favorite educator was the principal of Golovin who understood the importance of parent involvement and explained himself in a reasonable and logical way….In the past teachers were there to assist the parents as needed not to take over and keep secrets from the parents. School districts need to interview and set requirements on the educators who strive to cooperate in the communities.
Ok. First of all, as an “award winning journalist”, you should learn how to spell people’s names correctly.
Second….What in the actual hell are you talking about?
You are a troll. I pray for God Almighty’s blessings and guidance to be given to Mr. Davidson to help him to continue to share the truth with the community and help the community to stay awake to the lies that the evil ones keep telling to fool the innocent.
He’s promoting fear and loathing among unstable dangerous conservatives.
Lucinda is promoting hate and lies among unstable dangerous globalist minions and lefties.
Homosexuality is immoral and a sin.;
President Trump’s CNN Town Hall 5-11-23
https://rumble.com/v2n4pbg-badlands-media-special-coverage-town-hall-with-donald-trump.html
If everybody just stop paying property taxes the schools would be defunded and the teachers out of work.
I know many of these educators and they are, generally speaking, outstanding, hard-working, conscientious, intelligent and compassionate educators who any of us would be lucky to have work with our children.
This horrible article reminds me of the Salem Witch trials, McCarthy Hearings, Taliban tribunals…oh wait…this is the “christian” Taliban at work.
Shame on you. You can believe in whatever religion you want, but when you start attacking teachers like these…your lack of character and ethics is what becomes evident .
Bullies can’t handle diversity of ideas so they attack those who make them uncomfortable by holding those ideas.
This article is gross bullying.
I know many of these teachers and you should be so lucky to have them teach your child.
Unless you want your child to grow up to be a narrow minded bully.
You describe yourself and all the lefties so perfectly. This tactic has been used for years now and humanity-loving people have learned the tactic and can quickly see it now. No one believes you; just like we do not believe CNN or in O’biden and his government. God Almighty Wins.
Somewhat related question for you friend: given trump’s lie fest on CNN, his guilt for sexual abuse, 34 felonies against him and three major lawsuits in the wings, do you still support him?
Lucinda, I do not support the globalist minion talking points that you follow. Broken record repeating the same lies over and over and over. The 45th and 47th President of the United States is not guilty of any the lies that you repeat over and over. I am so sorry for the people who are waking up that read your lies over and over again. Almighty Father in Heaven, please help people who are waking up to see Lucinda’s lies that are pushed to support a evil narrative against your children and you.
“Diversity of ideas”? Is that what we’re calling mix n match your body parts, use them however, wherever, and in whatever manner we teach you, just don’t tell Mom and Dad what we’re doing here, playing “school”…
“Don’t tell mom and dad” is a red flag. “Mom are dad are not a safe space” is a powder keg for blowing up the nuclear family. “We are so much more than educators” is deeply disturbing. What, exactly, is the job description for a teacher in ASD or Juneau? If Anchorage psychiatrists aren’t qualified to determine which pathway to wellness is best for their clients, why the H-E-double-hockey-sticks is a public school teacher qualified to do so?
Y’know, much as I abhor bullying, Michael, I’ll submit that it does sometimes serve the public good in much the same way that guardrails can minimize harm to people and property and you probably wouldn’t have become the butt-hurt abomination that you are if you’d been sufficiently bullied in your formative years. The kids who whisper about and disrespect you and those subversive freaks you consort with are right and their parents should be congratulated.
If a child in a classroom decides to become a Christian, against their parents’ wishes, what would a compassionate teacher do then? If that teacher knew the child’s parents would be very upset…
Of course, everything happens in context. If the child was 6 years old, the decision might be different than with a 14 year old student.
As far as “job description”…teachers and schools are mandated not only to teach but also provide a safe space for all the students. The governor’s bill would do exactly the opposite.
Groomer, please; false equivalence is an invalid form of argument.
You shouldn’t be anywhere near kids.
And yet, I’m not afraid to use my name. Why are you? Afraid a search of criminal records might bring up some uncomfortable history?
Another Juneau Demorat.
Clarification: Michael Bucy is another Juneau Demorat. I can understand now why he talks like he does.
Whose God? Yours? Yours sounds very angry and hateful. I was raised as a Lutheran. The Christ I knew loved everyone. Accepted everyone. Why are you so obsessed with how other people identify? It doesn’t hurt you. Gender stereotypes have hurt generations of people. Allow people to live their lives. As long as they are committing no crime, what is your beef? Perhaps you have questions of your own about your own identy?
The more I read about our education system the more I hear Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in The Wall… Teachers, leave us kids alone!”
Going to have to listen to that song again. I cannot remember what the topic of the song was – its meaning.
These educators are heroes for standing up against bigotry and discrimination. They should be commended and given raises.
Heros in Satan’s book maybe. God Almighty wins in the end and everyone will answer to God Almighty for their deeds whether good or bad.
Friend: when your rototiller doesn’t start, do you check for spark and fuel or pray?
No, I call you and have you come check it out to see what the problem is. I do not have a rototiller, so do not worry – I will not be calling you.