A North Carolina preschool teacher has resigned after backlash over their use of LGBTQ flash cards being used to teach kids about colors.
One of the flash cards features a pregnant man.
The flash cards were being used by a teacher at Ballentine Elementary School, part of the Wake County public school system. The school has not released the teacher’s name, but have confirmed that they removed the cards from the school.
A concerned constituent sent photos of the cards to Republican State Rep. Erin Paré, who contacted the school principal about the issue earlier this week.
After searching the classroom and locating the cards, the principal verified with the teacher that they were using them to teach children about colors, according to a statement from North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore.
“The principal found the stack of cards in a preschool classroom and verified with the teacher that they had been used by the teacher in the classroom to teach colors. The principal confirmed that the flash cards were not part of approved curriculum and that she was unaware that they were being used,” Moore’s statement said.
“The principal immediately took possession of the cards, contacted the WCPSS area superintendent, and engaged human resources. The principal expressed appreciation for the constituent’s information via Rep. Paré, as she would not have known about the flash cards otherwise.”
The district has ramped up security at the school over the backlash, according to a report from WRAL.
Speaker Moore’s office noted that in a poll released this week, North Carolina voters (57%) overwhelmingly supported the idea of passing legislation that would “make parents the primary decision-makers regarding their child’s health and medical decisions and provide parents with opt-out options regarding controversial surveys or age-inappropriate classroom materials.”
“The members of the North Carolina General Assembly are currently reviewing legislation to address this very concern. Parents deserve to know exactly what and how their children are being taught,” Moore’s statement continued.
In the statement, Rep. Paré said that the cards “clearly do not meet the standard for a pre-school classroom.”
“I am grateful that a concerned constituent reached out and that this issue is being addressed in a swift and professional manner by Ballentine Elementary School,” said Paré.
Paré added that, “schools should only be using age-appropriate materials, and these flashcards clearly do not meet that standard for a pre-school classroom. I hope schools across Wake County and the State of North Carolina will follow the example of Ballentine and respond swiftly when a parent expresses concern and ensure that materials like this are not being used to teach young students.”
