Virginia teachers celebrate their victory after fighting back against allegations that “my parents asked me to lie about my child.”
Middle school teacher Deb Figliola reportedly wrote a new policy that Harrisonburg’s public school board believed to have overturned parents’ rights, and that she is standing on CBN News. I felt like I was forced to do so.
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“About three years ago, we were given the training we had as staff — and this training was given to all staff and all personnel in the district — we were able to make sure they were able to do so. You’ll have to ask students what they want to call, and then the pronouns they liked,” she said. “And we had to always mention them that way.”
Beyond that, Figliola said that teachers were told not to tell their parents about the use of these pronouns. She said she has problems with the policies and districts she has taught for over a decade.
“When I heard that training, I basically went back to my office, my classroom and wrote some thoughts,” she said. “I still have the paper so I can’t lie. I’m not going to lie to my kids, I’m not going to lie to my parents.”
According to the Christian legal advocacy group, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the district decided to add a “gender identity” to its non-discrimination policy prior to the 2021-2022 school year.
“We have since developed and published guidance detailing new requirements relating to students and parents who were told to “implement it immediately,” the ADF said in a statement. “These new requirements included an order that HCPS staff should request and use names or pronouns that request student requests, even if they contradict the gender of the student. Staff had to hide such requests from parents unless HCPS employees determined that their children’s parents were adequately “supporting” for their children’s “transition.” ”
Figliola decided to work with the ADF to push him back to two other educators.
See her explain:
“The process involved a lot of prayer. There was a lot of consideration and I felt like God was guiding me to do this over my time. That was important,” she said. “And that was the responsibility I had to talk about for my children and my family.”
As a parent and grandparent, Figliola said she can’t imagine not knowing what’s going on with her family during school. Ultimately, her faith and commitment to children forced her to speak out.
“I made this decision because I am a Christian and followed what I felt was right – it was the right thing,” she said. .
Of course, she had detractors, but some fellow educators stopped talking to her about the issue. It became clear on both sides as she continued her fight against policy.
ADF senior adviser Vincent Wagner told CBN News that Figliola and the other two teachers who joined her to fight policy have achieved great victories. conscience.
“Under this new religious accommodation policy, Harrisonburg schools have given them accommodations that they said, ‘We don’t need you to do those things,'” Wagner said. I did. “And that concludes with this final order that the Board of Education agreed to the Board of Education: Education… must use pronouns that contradict gender, and (teachers) demand teachers. You must hide information from your parents or lie.”
Ultimately, the lawyer said this would provide a “clear statement” from the district on the matter.
Wagner said it was inappropriate for schools to force teachers to “maintain important information from parents” and that ADF has worked consistently to help stop such efforts. .
“We represent educators across the country who are opposed to these types of policies, Ohio, Indiana, everywhere,” he said. “They’re pop-ups and it’s just harmful. The idea is that schools need to somehow reach between parents and children and make decisions without involving parents about what’s best for their children.”
Wagner hopes Figliola’s victory will be replicated elsewhere in the United States, and will pledge to “continue to file lawsuits” in the event of any issues.
As for Figliola, she encouraged other teachers who were struggling with the same battles she faced to continue talking about the truth.
“There’s protection and there’s a way to move forward, so don’t give up,” she said. “For us who believe that it’s wrong to stay in our profession, we are passionate about what we often do, passionate about being with our kids, and support our families. I’m passionate about it, so there’s no need to stop it.”
Figliola continues: But it’s very valuable. I’m very happy I did this. ”
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