Salem-Keizer School Counselor Re-education Camp on "Student Gender Affirmation Plan" and Where it Came From
School counselors were subjected to a thought-reform session on how to help kids hide things from their parents
A tip from a reader came in to tell me that on March 9, 2023, some school counselors of Salem-Keizer Public Schools were put through a session to educate them on how they have to help kids keep things from their parents by way of a new draft form: “Student Gender Affirmation Plan - Confidential”.
Take a look at the form here.
My focus on calling out this document is its tacit implication that the parents be excluded from the health and well-being of their children. The form doesn’t even mention the word “parent”.
This document, the training, and the accompanying policy all serve to keep parents in the dark about the health and well-being of their children. It forces teachers, administrators, and staff to lie, potentially in violation of their conscience or sincerely-held religious beliefs (think the 9th of the Ten Commandments - “Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor” — remember this for later). And it compels speech by teachers and staff, in violation of the 1st Amendment.
The draft document was also accompanied by many other materials, just a portion of which consisted of this snippet from an Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Guide on “Supporting Gender Expansive Students” (emphasis mine):
Gender expansive students, including those who have socially, medically, and/or legally transitioned, may have privacy concerns about information such as their legal name or gender/sex assigned at birth being revealed to other students or school staff. If a school employee outs a student by sharing any personally identifiable records information without the consent of the students or their parent or caregiver [at least ODE mentions “parent”], such as legal name or gender/sex assigned at birth, those actions could consititute a violation of Oregon school records law or FERPA, and may also constitute discrimination. Outing can put gender expansive individuals at risk for bullying, harassment, and violence, and should be taken seriously by schools.
Did you know it was a violation of FERPA to even reveal a student’s gender/sex assigned at birth? Are teachers going to stop referring to people by Mr. or Miss? Isn’t using a person’s pronouns, when used as they have been for the entirety of human history except for the last 5 minutes, revealing their gender/sex assigned at birth? Think about it, a teacher referring to a student in the third person violates FERPA according to this training provided to counselors.
Let’s remove the issue of transgenderism from the equation. If a teacher were to say in a class full of students, “Mr. Smith is going to read his paper next.”
Oh my goodness! That teacher just violated FERPA not once, but TWICE in one sentence. “Mr” and “his” in one sentence? The audacity!
In fact, in the way ODE’s snippet portrays it, the only way that doesn’t violate FERPA is if the teacher is referring to a transgender student by their desired pronouns and gender, but it’s potentially forcing the teacher to violate their conscience and their 1st Amendment right against compelled speech.
Where does it all end?
Where Did This Come From?
The training was put on by the SKPS Office of Student Equity, Access, and Advancement (OSEAA). The trainer was identified as Baily Anderson, the OSEAA LGBTQ+ Program Associate. She works for Cynthia Richardson who is the Director of OSEAA. Richardson also recently announced her candidacy for SKPS School Board Director - Zone 2.
I also happen to know that Richardson is a member of the People’s Church in Salem, Oregon, and so devout that she’s a deacon of the church. I’ve also confirmed with multiple members of the church that as of the time of this report, this is still the case.
For a little perspective on why that’s problematic, it’s important to note that People’s Church is an Assemblies of God denomination. The Assemblies of God website lists many of its beliefs in the form of Position Papers. A position paper titled “Leadership and Governance in the Local Church”, details what a deacon is and where the term comes from. It comes from the word diakonos, and in the Bible, it is used to describe or is compared to the roles of servant, household attendant, and even minister.
Further, in a section labeled “Specific Lists of Qualifications”, the qualifications for a deacon are as follows (emphasis mine):
The other leadership position for which Paul gives a list of qualifications is the deacon (1 Timothy 3:8–13). The deacon, too, must exemplify the highest character, be deeply committed to the “faith,” be tested and experienced, and maintain a healthy family relationship. Paul is very concerned that the leadership of the church never be guilty of debilitating attacks on their character because they are to maintain themselves properly. The fullness of the Spirit, producing fruit and gifts, is crucial to achieving these goals.
There they also have a position paper titled “Homosexuality, Marriage, and Sexual Identity” In it, the church’s position is made quite clear, and I would urge you to read it and try to rationalize how anyone as a member of that church, especially a deacon of the church, who is supposed to “be deeply committed to the ‘faith’” can also work as the Director of the very department charged with developing and disseminating the policies that govern the access of students that would violate those tenets of faith?
The position of the church is that homosexual behavior, sexual immorality, and sexual identity outside of a person’s “predominant biological sex” is a sin. The church is all about acknowledging that everyone is guilty of sin, and redemption is always possible, but there’s a distinction between dealing with sin as sin, and enabling it through drastic policy changes implemented and forced upon children and teachers. That’s what this deacon has done.
It would be like having a vegetarian overseeing the cattle industry. Their goals and crucial core beliefs are in direct opposition to each other.
Remember from above how the policy, this training, and form forces teachers and administrators to lie. Sure, people lie, and some more than others. But should a deacon of a church be advocating for (even requiring) people to lie in violation of the Ten Commandments?
In my opinion, it is also unethical, borderline corrupt, that she can run for an elected position while being in a role for the school district where she can implement new policies and programs that she can then use as talking points in her campaign for the school board position. Her opponents aren’t afforded that same ability. To me, it’s like running for political office while also being a talk show host or a political pundit. It’s unfair access. But what do I know? I’ve never run for office.
Remember this as the next school board election comes up. It’s not just Cynthia Richardson running in this race. Her opponent, Casity Troutt, has a proven track record of advocating for kids and the community. She won’t have the historical allegiance to the educational establishment that Cynthia Richardson does.
School Board Members are supposed to be the elected representatives of the community. Do you think a long-time educator will have the perspective of the community at the forefront of her mind? As a senior leader of the school superintendent’s cabinet, she’ll have the district, administrators, and teachers on her mind.
Don’t just believe what you’re told; do your own homework. And when May 16th comes around, don’t forget to vote!