A recent training session held by Columbus City Schools has sparked controversy after it was revealed that the district spent over $24,000 on a program advising staff to withhold information about students' gender identities from their parents. The training, conducted by consultants Wes Chernin and Finn Menzies of "Hey Wes" (formerly Q-inclusion), focused on queer and trans inclusion.
Training materials obtained by Parents Defending Education, a parental rights advocacy group, recommend maintaining separate, confidential files for students' legal names while using their preferred names and pronouns, even without parental consent. Sample "Gender Support Plans" included in the training materials ask about a student's "gender status" and provide guidance on how staff should respond to inquiries from other students, staff, and parents regarding a student's gender identity.
Columbus City Schools defended the training, stating their commitment to providing a "safe, supportive, and inclusive education" for all students. The district emphasized that the training addresses the needs of their diverse student population. The two-day training, which took place in September 2022, was tailored for different groups of school staff, including speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologists, and school counselors.
The training materials also included a "gender identity development timeline" suggesting discussions about gender with very young children. The timeline asserts that children as young as 1.5 years old begin to understand their gender identity and, by age 3, have typically established it. A "Wheel of Power/Privilege" was also presented, categorizing various aspects of identity, including sexuality, body size, gender, and skin color. The training encouraged visual displays of allyship, such as displaying trans and pride flags.
Recommended LGBTQ+ book lists for K-12 students were provided, including titles like "If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It" and "The Pronoun Book" for elementary school students. The training also addressed handling pushback from parents, offering suggested talking points and emphasizing the importance of self-care for staff. The concept of "affinity groups" for students, including Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs and "Rainbow Clubs," was also discussed.
Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, criticized the training, arguing that tax dollars are being used to implement policies that exclude parents from important decisions regarding their children's lives. Hey Wes did not respond to requests for comment.
