Bloc of Rochester School Board candidates releases statement on gun safety, gender identity and other topics

Jordan Shearer, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·3 min read
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Sep. 9—ROCHESTER — A conservative bloc of four school board candidates has released a joint statement on the district's recently approved gun safety resolution, showing support for the initiative but also indicating gun violence isn't the only threat in schools.

The Rochester School Board approved the resolution in August. Among other points, it encouraged families to maintain proper firearm storage in their homes.

"Efforts such as public service announcements about how to safely store your guns is something we can all agree on," the statement said in part. "The larger issue of safety, however, extends beyond possibilities of gun violence."

The statement went on to talk about the perceived danger of the "teaching and normalizing of gender fluidity, gender identity, and oppressor/oppressed ideologies."

The statement referenced "scholarly research" about the harm of such practices. Upon further request, the candidates referenced the book "Irreversible Damage" by the journalist Abigail Shrier. They emphasized the book has more than 250 citations.

Rochester Public Schools is hardly the first to see controversy over the acceptance, or lack of such, for LGBTQ-related issues.

In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board. By doing so, the court essentially handed the victory to the transgender, former high school student who wanted to use the bathrooms associated with his gender identity.

The Grimm decision is just one of hundreds of examples. In recent years, state legislators have debated, enacted and struck down a myriad of bills related to LGBTQ youth.

Prominent organizations, such as the National Association of School Psychologists, have encouraged schools to support students along gender-identity lines.

"NASP affirms our long-standing position on necessary policies and practices to support the safety and well-being of all students, including those who are transgender and gender diverse," the association's website reads. "Our position is consistent with all major medical, mental health, and education organizations."

To some extent, Rochester Public Schools has addressed the issue indirectly. The district installed gender-neutral bathrooms in its newly built schools. The need for that feature was partly highlighted by student leaders.

Leading up to the construction of the new schools, the Rochester-Olmsted County Youth Commission sent a letter to the school district, advocating for the need for the gender-neutral restrooms.

"You are not doing this just for a small group of students. Creating spaces that affirms individuals' gender identity benefits all of us as students in Rochester Public Schools," the letter from the youth commission said.

The conservative candidates' statement reads in full:

"Rochester Public School safety threats go way beyond guns"

While gun violence has occurred in the community, thankfully it hasn't made its way into the Rochester schools. We should take steps to prevent a tragedy from happening here. Efforts such as public service announcements about how to safely store your guns is something we can all agree on. We will consider and support measures that protect students and staff from gun and other weapon violence.

The larger issue of safety, however, extends beyond possibilities of gun violence. Existing school policies and practices may be posing greater danger and doing more actual damage to students. For example, a serious and more immediate threat to our students' health and well-being is the teaching and normalizing of gender fluidity, gender identity, and oppressor/oppressed ideologies. These are contentious and very controversial theories that are at odds with family and religious values of many people in our community, unnecessarily putting our schools in conflict with parents and guardians. Scholarly research makes a strong case that promoting such things in schools has a detrimental effect on the mental health of students, particularly young girls. It is not a proper role of our schools to be doing.

It is time to get the schools out of divisive political and family matters and back to teaching real academics. This is a major reason why we need a change in our school board. We are running to be a needed part of that change.

4yourchildren candidates:

Rae Parker

John Whelan

Kim Rashavy

Elena Niehoff