If parents don’t like how public school teachers instruct their children, they should take them and leave, the head of a local teachers’ union in Maine said during at an official community meeting.
Third-grade teacher Erin York, president of the Hermon Education Association (HEA), passionately addressed parents during a Hermon School Committee meeting on Oct. 3.
“Those of you that don’t trust us—you can take your children elsewhere,” the 18-year teacher said during her three-minute speech. “If you think there’s a better fit for your family, do it.
“But please don’t think that you know what’s best for all children,” York admonished parents. “And don’t try to run out our amazing educators and administrators that we have in our district.”
She urged committee members: “Stand up for us!”
The Epoch Times reported in September that Hermon parents spoke out against sexually explicit books in school libraries. They also objected to halls decorated to celebrate LGBT ideology, and clubs promoting experimentation with gender.
An LGBT book display in Hermon High School in Maine in November, 2021. Courtesy of Shawn McBreairty, the Maine First Project, and Maine Source Of Truth
York’s comments seemed to be in response to that backlash.
Resisting Parents
Hermon’s school district has filed a lawsuit against Maine parental rights activist Shawn McBreairty.The district objects to how McBreairty posted on Twitter about Hermon High School teacher Mallory Cook after she created a display of 40 transgender books in the library.
According to the lawsuit from the Hermon School Department, McBreairty accused a school employee of being a “sexual predator” and “grooming children,” Maine Public reported.
On his YouTube channel, McBreairty also shared a video of Hermon School Committee member Christopher McLaughlin praising the sexually explicit book “Gender Queer.” McLaughlin made the comments during an Oct. 4 webinar hosted by Maine Family Planning.
“I think about the book ‘Gender Queer,’ which is a book that I personally love—it’s in my bookshelf behind me,” McLaughlin said during the presentation entitled “Showing Up for Inclusive Sex Ed.”
“If this were ripped from the pages of any number of adult magazines, it would be immediately stamped porn and moved out of there.”
The book includes graphic cartoon illustrations of sex acts, including between men, and a link to an explicit website. McBreairty’s video shows the controversial images. YouTube terminated his account because the video was too graphic for its standards, he told The Epoch Times.
A paper tells students a list of preferred gender pronouns to use in Gorham High School, Maine. Courtesy of a Gorham High School student who wished to remain anonymous
In the video, McLaughlin also mentions that his board rejected a parental attempt to remove a book.
McBreairty told The Epoch Times the parent had challenged “Milk and Honey,” a poetry book by Rupi Kaur that includes sketches of nude women and couples having sex.
McLaughlin asked others at the webinar for advice on how to defend keeping books with sexual images in school libraries.
“And the piece that I’m still needing support around is responses to this idea or the accusation that we’re allowing a pornographic image in school.”
During her speech to the Hermon School Committee, York said activists who posted pictures online of teachers reading books to students were conducting “attacks on educators.”
“If we were doctors, lawyers, or electricians, no one would be telling us the way we do our job is incorrect,” York said.
“They wouldn’t be calling us groomers, or pedophiles, or saying that we indoctrinate kids. They wouldn’t bully us online, or post our names and pictures of us reading books for our students, perpetuating hatred.”
York asked the school committee for help in combatting those who criticize teachers.
“Please stand up for us. Say something to those who are ignorant enough to slander us. Sometimes silence can be very loud.”
Teachers Know Best
Parents should trust teachers as experts, York added.“Educators here know what’s best for our students,” she said. “We have the training. We have the knowledge. We have the experience.”
And “everything we do is for our students,” she added.
She said teachers spend “sleepless nights thinking of how to help those children whose families can’t help them.”
Her remarks received loud applause. A parent who attended the meeting told The Epoch Times that it appeared only teachers, and not parents, clapped in approval of York’s monologue.
