Asheville – The Buncombe County School Board (BCSB) meeting on December 7th was a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. It was a full house. The meeting began by honoring various schools and individuals in the Good News segment.
Award Winners
Both Fairview Elementary and Black Mountain Primary received Blue Ribbon and Distinguished School awards. Students from any school were recognized for the NC Honors Chorus. Many of these students performed in the Reynolds High School Madrigal Singers, directed by Mr. Philip Haynie. The madrigal group beautifully performed Christmas and wintertime music. You can see videos of their performances on the Tribune Papers Facebook page. It’s well worth your time.
In addition, Ami Greene received an award for School Social Worker of the Year. Three school counselors, Eva Lewit, Melanie Parham, and Laura Traylor, received Counselor of the Year awards. David Ball, District Athletic Specialist, received the Roy Hobb Hall of Fame Award, and district leaders and colleagues surprised retiring Facilities and Planning Director Tim Fierle by naming the Nesbitt Discovery Academy atrium the “Timothy Fierle Student Center.
Public Comment on the Parent’s Bill of Rights
The festive atmosphere of the meeting turned somber as the public was given the opportunity to speak about the vote on school policy concerning the Parent’s Bill of Rights (PBoR) as outlined in NC State Law SB49. Over 30 individuals attended to address the school board on this matter.
Kay Olsen passionately defended parental rights, stating, “Children are not wards of the state. They are gifts of God to their parents. The Parent’s Bill of Rights protects the rights of parents to direct the care and education of their children.” Olsen emphasized the importance of parents having control over their children’s upbringing, moral and religious training, and the ability to be involved in their education.
One highly debated aspect was the inclusion of gender identity in the curriculum, with SB49 specifying that it should not be taught to grades K-4. Olsen argued, “It’s a controversial topic falling under the realm of health and sex education. It should not be addressed at this very young age.”
Concerns were raised regarding discrepancies between the BCSB policy manual and the SB49 law, highlighting the need for compliance. Additionally, Policy 4720 was suggested as an addition, but Courtney Blossman expressed that it contradicted SB49 by not requiring parental consent for protected student information surveys. Proper notification and consent procedures were stressed, both verbally and in written form.
Another group, including BCS students and faculty, voiced objections to the proposed policy changes, citing discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals as the main issue within SB49. Personal anecdotes were shared, including the emotional testimony of a 13-year-old transgender individual who recounted a difficult experience of contemplating self-harm. Privacy concerns were also expressed, particularly related to potentially “outing” students to their parents, which was seen as an infringement on their privacy rights.
It’s A Legal Issue
What must be remembered here is that while the stories are touching, we are talking about laws, and these are minors still in their parents care. Parents are legally responsible for their children up to the age of 18, but they question how they can do what is best for their child, legally and morally, if what is happening in the child’s life is hidden from them by our schools.
Is Hostility Causing Teens to Commit Suicide?
Several of the speakers opposed to the policy changes also cited The Trevor Project, a 2023 national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ+. This survey discusses the high desire to commit suicide in the LGBTQ+ community. But another suicide issue was also brought up by another speaker.
Bill Robinson showed a photo of Kiley Wilhelm, a 13-year-old 7th grader at Charles D. Owens Middle School. Robinson shared, “On May 12th, this child went up to her bedroom and hung herself. This child committed suicide. There have been seven suicides of young girls in this school district and the Asheville City School District since January 1st of this year. I don’t want anybody committing suicide, but you have created a hostile environment in our public schools. These seven conservative Christian girls… Next time, I’ll bring a picture of Sabine Boseman from Reynolds. She was a 16-year-old who committed suicide in March.” Robinson expressed, “Nobody seems to much care. You don’t talk about it; you don’t have press conferences.” According to Robinson, who has spoken with the families, these conservative teenagers are being bullied into self harm.
The board ultimately voted unanimously to pass the seven policies related to SB49.