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Paso Robles students protest black speaker at Martin Luther King event

January 13, 2024

Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board Trustee Laurene McCoy

By KAREN VELIE

A group of Paso Robles High School students plan to boycott the city’s 17th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration because they disapprove of the chosen speaker, a black woman.

In December, the students in a drama class committed to perform at the Jan. 15 event to be held at the Downtown City Park. That was before several members of the community objected to having Paso Robles School Board Trustee Laurene McCoy, a conservative, provide the keynote speech.

Her critics have voiced concerns with McCoy’s affiliation with “Moms for Liberty,” a group they claim does not support “transgender ideology.” The chair of the SLO County Moms for Liberty group, however, is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The group argues that “parental rights do not stop at the classroom door.”

School officials disagree on what led students in the drama class to boycott the event as long as McCoy is the keynote speaker, according to emails between school district officials. While some argue the student’s made the decision on their own, others believe a teacher prompted the boycott.

“In light of Curt’s (Superintendent Curt Dubost) disparaging remarks towards conservatives, to include three of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board Trustees, it’s not surprising that the students would follow such a poor example,” said Trustee Kenney Enney. “Several faculty members have indicated that there was teacher involvement to encourage the boycott.

“Therefore, I would like an outside investigator to look into this incident and Curt’s comments and report the findings directly to the board. Unfortunately, due to evident political bias in the district office, I do not have confidence in an internal investigation.”

Kicking off the event, students with Paso Robles High School Drum Ensemble will lead a unity march from Robbins Field to the park at 12 p.m. on Monday. The first hundred participants will receive souvenirs, and pizza will be served at the park.

Following McCoy’s speech, multiple local groups are scheduled to perform.

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I like that teachers want students to look at adults in their world. However, there is a group of people who are attempting to manipulate.

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.So you have one group who feel children should be able to get medical procedures and take hormones that can cause emotional instability for a time, without their parents knowing – and another group who believes parents have the right to make decisions for their children.


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.My problem is that some people demand you either agree with their ideology or they will label you anti-LBGTQ or racist. A lesbian woman is not anti-LBGTQ and a black woman is not racist against blacks, Teachers need to teach students to be more tolerant of people who have different views then their own.


51

“they disapprove of the chosen speaker, a black woman.”

No, she’s a member of Moms for Liberty, a questionable organization.

1 board member was found to have a threesom sex tape, one was arrested for shoplifting.


-43

DEI means Don’t Ever Include anyone who disagrees with progressive ideology. It never applies to conservatives or Christians. Laurene is exactly the type of person that MLK meant to extend opportunities to but they are not happy because these bullies don’t like her politics or religion. This kind of prejudice is exactly what MLK was fighting. I spoke at a school board meeting and said we honor MLK but do not apply his teachings. One more reason to home school, private school, charter school etc or break the teacher’s union that supports this type of fascism.


71

No, it’s good to have diversity in thought. Debate this stuff, don’t leave it unchallenged.


-31

if the students Laurene represents don’t want her representing them or feel she is missrepresenting them which it seems she is; she should kindly step down. Vs wanting photo ops and political points. Her job is within a school board, not elsewhere. I bet there are alot of MLK haters here, it seems there are a few in Paso, and just plain racists and sexists and Socioeconomic biased people’s who only like Land Owners.


-63

Mom’s for liberty founder was just ousted for cheating on her husband with a woman, also, her husband I believe is being accused of sex crimes. Mom’s for Insanity more like it. From CRT racists trying to destroy Georgia Brown, the most productive school in the county, Book bans that of Germany WW2, miss appropriating funds, Superintendents doing bad work. Paso is like an Empire falling. Students have the right to be upset. People have opinions, Remember those Trump trains? And Trump is a Rapist, as he lost to E Jean Carrol in court. So.


-48

This looks like a teacher with an opinion riled up some students who enjoy exercising new found power. The teacher should be fired for manipulating instead of teaching


44

I dunno. It’s good to get the kids involved in THEIR decisions. YOU have an opinion, so others shouldn’t????


-31

That’s not what is happening. The teacher is encouraging not just ignorance of dissent, but physical outrage expressed by their “opinion”.


That’s NOT what teachers are for. Should they want to get into politics in the classroom, teach BOTH sides of the spectrum unbiased. Otherwise, we pay them to teach reading, writing, mathematics, and basic sciences.


35

Ok Abner, we already can see you stand on the Left wing. But Ironic YOU are talking about intolerance when the boycott is about INTOLERANCE period! These kids only have a “decision” after being coaxed by a LEFT wing Teacher! So I seriously doubt it was “their” decision. After all we ALL know how manipulative biased teachers can be, and how students feel obligated to comply with what is “Cool” for the moment, “Lemmings” more like it. Political influencers at the worse. ITs a social contagion, and very dangerous when you see the reality of it all. Kids need good moral guidance. Even my GAY and TRANS friends agree the Woke influences on our kids these days are abusive and dangerous.


1

WOKE is abusive and dangerous? Bwahahahahaha!


-1

The way this is written seems to WANT to drive people apart. It ignores the real issue – that Kenney Enney wants to take more money from students!


Kenney Enney is proposing a special investigation costing the district MORE MONEY! Because someone disagreed with him – boo hoo. Grow up, this free speech thing goes both ways.


Are the reading and math test scores up, Mr. Enney? Or was your campaign complete horsesh’t? Seems like you like to stir up controversy instead of ACTUALLY helping kids.


Sub for a class. Put in some time-then maybe you’ll get some thicker skin on your precious feelings.


-34

The teacher fomenting this boycott should be fired for moral insanity.


36

More Drama in Paso Robles.

DEI is completely out of control and the Parents better understand what is going to happen.

Corporations are paying attention and someday these little darlings will need a job.


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