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Misinformation incites outrage at Atascadero school board meeting

August 18, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

Dozens of people attended an Atascadero Unified School District meeting on Tuesday to support a teacher who was allegedly facing disciplinary action over a Pride flag she displayed in the classroom, concerns based on misinformation.

The inaccurate allegations, primarily distributed on social media, included claims that the board agenda listed disciplining the teacher, that the area Moms for Liberty group had called for the teacher to be fired and that the group was bussing in protesters. Before public comment started, Superintendent Tom Butler attempted to clear-up the misinformation.

“I’d like to clarify a few pieces of information that appear to be completely inaccurate,” Butler said. “First and foremost, there’s no discipline, there’s no evaluative process with the teacher along the topic that many of you are here to discuss.”

Even so, public comment went on for more than two hours. Trisha Murray, who is a lesbian and the chair of Moms for Liberty, said no one in her group wanted the teacher to be disciplined

“I do believe that teachers should not be bringing their political, religious or sexual ideologies into classrooms,” Murray said. “Parents do have the right to direct the upbringing and education of their children based on the moral standards they teach in their home.”

While the majority of the speakers voiced their support of hanging Pride flags at schools, five speakers disagreed with hanging non-government flags in the classroom.

However, no one disparaged or asked the board to discipline the teacher.

After two parents asked the district to move their children out of the sixth grade classroom where the flag was hanging, school officials informed the teacher, but did not order her to take the flag down.

Nevertheless, two teachers removed Pride flags from their classrooms in response to the request to move the children, including the sixth grade teacher.

In a private Moms for Liberty Facebook chat, Murray said she planned to voice her opinion at Tuesday’s board meeting and she asked others to join her.

The social media misinformation campaign ensued, with dozens of people upset over the fictitious proposed discipline.


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I think if I was a history teacher I would have different historical and international flags in the classroom. The British colonial flag, Betsy Ross flag, Stars and Bars (not the more famous but anachronistic battle flag), the allied flags in WW1/2 (UK, Canada, France, RoC, Russia, Soviet Union, Polish), North and South Vietnamese flags, etc. And of course various state flags. Classrooms should be visually interesting as a way to improve learning for those who benefit from visuals.


9

“Moms for Liberty is best known for its efforts to loudly overtake and intimidate public schools, but unbeknownst to many the group was terrorizing school boards while simultaneously planting a sophisticated state legislative advocacy infrastructure that it’s now using to strategically attack LGBTQ rights.”


“In a private Moms for Liberty Facebook chat, Murray said she planned to voice her opinion at Tuesday’s board meeting and she asked others to join her.”


“This year, Moms for Liberty members across the country have used their legislative advocacy network and partnerships with conservative politicians to wage a war against the LGBTQ community.

Florida GOP Vice Chairman Christian Ziegler, who is also the husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, has described Moms for Liberty as “foot soldiers” for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Thus it’s no surprise that the group is spreading DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ campaign all over the country.”


“Trisha Murray, who is a lesbian and the chair of Moms for Liberty”


Lol ,,,”I never thought leopards would eat MY face ……………”


-38

I never said I planned to voice my opinion. I did however say join me at the next School Board meeting and speak of your concerns. Please stop twisting a conversation you had no part in.


7

“conversation you had no part in.” lol


“Trisha Murray, Moms for Liberty chapter chair, has either appeared in person or written to all San Luis Obispo County school boards to urge them….”


Trisha Murray :” Do what is best for you your business and your children. This is America we are Americans. Don’t forget all these people making nonsense rules that make no since and only couse confusion work for the people. Nothing adds up its just lie after lies.”


GOP = Gaslight Obstruct Project.


Welcome to the good fight.


-16

In the hurricane of misinformation around this, I want to acknowledge Tom Butler’s level headed approach and efforts to keep the record straight.


27

A teachers role in the classroom is to educate not indoctrinate.

Sadly, that’s a bygone era. Goodbye America.


59

A flag, got to be top problem


-22

I’m sure we would all like to have our favorite flags in classrooms. I would like to see the San Jose Shark’s hockey team flag in my kids classroom. Some people would probably like to see a giant swastika flag on the classroom ceiling. That’s why only two flags are allowed. U.S. & California. You can always display your flag in front of your house too.


104

Only the Stars and Stripes and the Golden Bear should be allowed in the classroom.


103

Teachers should be smarter than this. They should know flying such a flag in a classroom will bring unwanted attention. Teachers should be deferential to the concerns of parents in virtually every situation.


There are far better ways to teach inclusion than to blatantly fly a flag that upsets some groups.


71