Hundreds of concerned Fairbanks parents and community members have signed a newly launched online petition asking Superintendent Luke Meinert to pause all classroom and school-level implementation of a controversial resolution by the school board, which recognizes October 2026 as LGBTQ History Month.
Launched on Sept. 17, the petition drew more than 300 signees within hours. Started by Jaq Conklin, the petition is addressed to Superintendent Meinert with a copy to the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board of Education. It does not ask the superintendent to outright ignore the board’s vote, but requests that he pause any LGBTQ History Month instructional materials, lessons, activities, guest speakers, displays, or programming tied to the resolution until the district clarifies what the school board vote actually authorizes and whether Alaska parental-notification and materials-approval laws apply.
Resolution 2027-08 was approved Sept. 15 as part of the school board’s consent agenda – bundled together with many other items at the start of the meeting, and before any public testimony on the matter could be heard.
Placing the controversial and contested recognition on the consent agenda effectively undermined a large group of attendees who came to testify on the resolution.
The resolution, introduced by Board President Bobby Burgess, aims to harness the public school system to highlight and celebrate contributions made by people who identify as LGBTQ.
The petition, however, raises concerns that the resolution may violate Alaska Statute, which requires advance parental notice before children are exposed to programs involving human reproduction or sexual matters. This includes sex-education, human-reproduction, or human-sexuality materials.
The petition states that board resolution should not independently add instructional content outside the legal process, and it asks Meinert to identify any planned October lessons, books, videos, speakers, or displays and to determine whether those trigger state laws regarding parental rights. If the resolution is merely ceremonial, the petitioners are asking the superintendent to say so in writing.
“Every student deserves to attend school without bullying or discrimination,” the petition states. “Parents also deserve transparency regarding what their children are taught and assurance that established laws, policies, and curriculum procedures will be followed.”
TAKING ACTION
— Click here to read the online petition.
