The Abbotsford school district will review its procedures for notifying parents before presentations are given to their children about gender identity and sexual orientation.
At the request of board chair Shirley Wilson, Superintendent Kevin Godden will work to better define the meaning of “reasonable notice” after a father complained that he learned of such a presentation only days before.
Wes Dyck said he learned on a Friday that his child’s school, Chief Dan George Middle, would be hosting a presentation about LGBT issues the following Monday. He asked that parents be notified weeks in advance before future presentations, while speaking to board trustees as a delegation at a public meeting Tuesday evening.
Dyck said he attended the meeting with permission from the school and objected to some of what he heard.
“This training consisted of six videos and a presentation by two teenagers who stated that they did not identify with their birth gender,” Dyck said. “To sum up the presentation, it was propaganda designed to desensitize children to the entire [Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity] Agenda to normalize all forms of sexual expression based on feelings.”
READ: Conservative activists rail against LGBT curriculum in Abbotsford
Per board procedure, trustees did not respond directly to Dyck’s presentation but later made the request to clarify notification procedures.
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They did not respond to his other requests, including that future presentations be limited only to videos to ensure “accountability” for what is said and that parents be told they may opt their children out of SOGI presentations.
Godden said that parents may only opt their children out of health education, such as sexual education, in response to questions during a question period at Tuesday’s meeting.
You can read more on this story in Friday’s edition of The News and online later this week.
