ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — Emotions ran high at a Roanoke County school board meeting on Thursday night. Dozens came out to passionately share their thoughts, after a controversial public comment session at the May school board meeting.
“What I’m here to talk about is the child abuse, grooming, conditioning and indoctrination by sexual predators disguised as teachers at Glen Clove Elementary,” said a man during public comment at the May 18 school board meeting.
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That comment, and other comments about the same claims, sparked outrage throughout the community. At the June 15 meeting, folks filled the room to respond to those allegations. A lot of the backlash was at the school board itself.
“You are complicit with last month’s speaker as he slandered the Roanoke County school teachers as sexual predators. As a Roanoke County public school retiree, I find this disgraceful and totally embarrassing,” said one public commenter.
“We are not predators. We are not child groomers. We are none of these disgusting remarks that have been thrown our way these past few weeks. I hope all parents and staff who have suffered these disgusting remarks sue this district until there is some real change. We have been watching and waiting until problem n after problem is swept under the rug, and we are done,” said another woman during public comment.
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“Why am I here saying this to you when you couldn’t spare a breath for our district? Why does the community literally have to rally for you to do the bare minimum of your jobs?” asked another woman.
Some folks in the community created a petition in response to this situation to support the LGBTQ+ students and staff in the system. It already has over 23,000 signatures.
The petition reads as follows:
“We write to you as concerned parents and community members regarding the targeting of Glen Clove Elementary school staff and the LGBTQ+ community. We must unite as a community to support out students, staff and schools to create a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for all. We ask that county leadership support our students and staff in the LGBTQ+ community by not allowing hate to grow. It is vital to foster understanding, respect and acceptance for all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. We must unite to create an inclusive and accepting environment that promotes equity free from discrimination and hate. We also ask that you protect staff from unwarranted attacks on their character. The false allegations of staff members being sexual predators are baseless and damaging to their professional and personal lives. No individual should have a target on their back due to unfounded claims, and county leadership must take responsibility to protect our educators from harassment and harm. We also would like to create equitable policies for educators’ personal expression that does not single out LGBTQ+ educators and allies. For instance, educators that identify as Christians are allowed to wear crosses and shirts that identify their religious preferences. These personal expressions may make students of other religions uncomfortable, yet they are allowed to persist. Why is one community being targeted over another? We must respect diversity and the rights of all individuals to express their rights safely and respectfully. As parents and community members, we believe that all students and staff can thrive in a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment. Together, let us work towards creating a respectful, inclusive educational environment where all students and staff can thrive.”
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