A California mother of three claims she was fired for speaking out about the education curriculum at her local school board meeting and says she’s been branded as homophobic, racist and transphobic by community members in letters printed in local news outlets and sent to her employer.
Janet Robertson spoke at a Benicia Unified School District meeting, where she shared concerns about the district’s sexual education curriculum that she said taught “gender confusion, not gender clarification” because it told 10-year-old students they could choose their gender and receive puberty blockers. Robertson said teaching “vulnerable children that lifetime dependence on medical care is a viable option is completely unacceptable and evil.”
She said of the curriculum, “Children are being asked to identify their pronouns, and this is now part of the ten-year-old curriculum. This forces a gender discussion beyond the scope of the state requirements and complicates an already overburdened classroom environment. We are alarmed that gender identity is now being discussed in math classes.”
She added, “This takes time from core learning and does not benefit the students who are in our community. Teaching kids that there isn’t a standard or truth and that you can believe anything that you want to believe is not scientifically accurate or medically correct. For example, the notion that a girl can decide to be a boy, or a boy can decide to be a girl is not true and should not be taught.”
Ten days after she spoke at the school board meeting, Robertson was notified by Compass, the real estate agency she works for, that she could no longer do business with them, adding that the company clarified that it had nothing to do with her business success at the company and stating they didn’t need to tell her why she was being let go. Parents nationwide are rallying to support parents who stand up for their children’s welfare.
Sheri Few, president and founder of the United States Parents Involved in Education, or USPIE, celebrated Robertson’s courageous act while saddened that her dedication to protecting her children came at the cost of her job. USPIE released a documentary, “Truth & Lies in American Education,” to address the glaring problems in the American education system. The documentary follows Few’s daughter-in-law, April and her journey to learn the truth about what’s being taught to America’s children.
Few said, “For parents who want to stand up and fight for their children but don’t know where to start, ‘Truth & Lies in American Education’ is a great resource. The film unveils the horrors happening in government schools, educates parents on what their children are learning, and empowers them to fight back.” Robertson said due to anti-strategic lawsuits against public participation laws in California, she can’t protect herself or go after those who’ve damaged her reputation and career because their words are considered political rhetoric.
Ultimately, Robertson wants other parents to know that speaking up is okay. She said, “Hopefully, people will be inspired just to be courageous and strong and supportive of each other. And it’ll inspire parents to stand up for their children and come together as a community not to let cancel culture happen to anyone else.”
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