Los Angeles Schools’ ‘Cult-Retreat-Like’ Gender Reeducation Targets Teachers Who Disagree

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) trains teachers in “critical social justice gender ideology” in part to “address when students or staff make an ‘unacceptable’ error in words or actions that are against gender ideology,” according to a staff member who participated.

It was a “cult-retreat-like-experience” the LAUSD teacher who shared the information with Parents Defending Education (PDE) said. “The trainers called for us to raise our hands if we could commit to using preferred pronouns and STAND UP if we commit to using trans students’ preferred names.”

If the staff did not commit to the ideology, “it was an obvious sign that you’re problematic and bigoted and in the wrong.”

The training slideshow says that gender identity is “our innermost feelings of who we are as a woman, man, both, and/or neither.”

In a section called “Interrupting Bias: Calling Out vs. Calling In,” staff are encouraged to go after staff and students who may disagree with the ideology because “we need to let someone know that their words or actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated [and] we need to interrupt in order to prevent further harm.”

Even though it “will likely feel hard and uncomfortable,” “calling out” noncompliance with the ideology remains “necessary.”

“Wow. Nope. Ouch. I need to stop you right there,” is a recommended line LAUSD staff can use to begin the “calling out” process.

Others recommended lines include:

• “I don’t find that funny. Tell me why that’s funny to you.”
• “I wonder if you’ve considered the impact of your words.”
• “Hmmm.. maybe you want to think this one through a bit more and speak about it later.”
• “I need you to know how your comment just landed on me.”
• “It sounds like you’re making some assumptions that we need to unpack a bit.”

These methods of “interrupting bias” were adapted from the Oregon Center for Educational Equity in an article called What Did You Just Say? Responses to Racist Comments Collected from the Field.

“Remember,” the “calling out” section concludes, “it is a powerful thing for the target of oppression to hear these words from the mouth of an ally!”

“Calling in,” on the other hand, appears to be a way to “explore deeper” into someone’s comments.

Some recommended lines to being the “calling in” process are as follows:

• “I’m curious. What was your intention when you said that?”
• “What sort of impact do you think your decision/comment/action might have?”
• How might your own comfort level, assumptions, expectations, prior experiences be influencing your beliefs, decisions, process?”

“Think,” this section concludes, “how might we call out the behavior, while calling in the person?”

After reviewing ways to go after one’s colleagues, the guidance moves into the “Affirming Student Name/Gender” section, which declares that “All students have the right to be referred to by their chosen name/pronouns, regardless of their legal or school records. A legal name change is NOT required for unofficial name changes.” [Emphasis in original].

“Schools must address a student by their affirmed name/gender pronouns,” it mandates. [Emphasis in original]. “No parent/guardian permission or notification is required for student-initiated name changes.” [Emphasis in original].

As part of a “Gender Support Checklist,” LAUSD staff are taught to ask, “Do appropriate staff know how to communicate with the family while protecting the student’s well-being?” — a question that implies a government school has the best interests of a child in mind, not the child’s parents.

“Pressuring LAUSD employees to adopt language with which they may disagree – and encouraging others to bully, intimidate, and silence dissenting views – is appalling,” PDE President Nicole Neily said in a statement. “This took place during an all-staff mandated school hours ‘training’ during a shortened school day, which places a significant burden on working families. By prioritizing topics like this over students’ mastery of core subject areas, district administrators have shown that they prioritize social issues over learning.”

Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.

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