SAU21 Under Pressure to Make Teacher Training Transparent, What is there to HIDE?

Dear  Superintendent Nadeau,

Please see the email (below) sent to Jessica Goff from Seacoast Outright.  We had a lengthy conversation about the upcoming teacher training in SAU21.

During that conversation, she directed me back to the administrators on several occasions. For instance, I asked her about making the training open to the public to observe. She mentioned that she wanted a “safe space” for the teachers to discuss the training. While I can certainly understand not wanting any disruptions during the training, the dialogue and materials should be made transparent.

I’d like to request that this training be open to the public, or have someone videotape the training session and the round table discussions. That video can then be  posted on the school district website. This would go a long way to make this transparent. 

Recently other similar trainings have made national news.  In Fairfax County it was reported that teachers were trained to “transition children’s genders without parental approval.”  This training required “all teachers to complete a training program that says parental permission is not required for students who seek to be addressed by different names or pronouns.”

I’m sure you can see how this kind of training would raise concerns for many parents in SAU21.

If you recall, a teacher who lives in Hampton Falls also brought her concerns to the school board in August. Her district required all teachers to attend a similar training session. (52:38) She warned that something will be said that’s inappropriate. The high school where she works has been involved in lawsuits and FOIA requests for the past two years.

I filed my own 91-a a few weeks ago asking to see the materials, videos, etc. that would be used during this training session. In the reply I received, it indicated that no government documents exist. However, after speaking with Jessica Goff, she said that all of those materials were sent over to the SAU a few days prior to me picking up your reply. Why were those materials not provided to me?

It casts more doubt and concern that these materials were never vetted prior to making the decision to hire Seacoast Outright for this training session. As far as I can tell, it was Mr. Hobbs who engaged in this dialogue with Seacoast Outright but he never vetted the materials. And now the materials have been kept from public view. The 91-a, and under the protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, 20 U.S.C § 1232h, the teacher training materials should have been provided to me. Can you explain this? 

Perhaps you can also address how this training will be respectful and inclusive to religious families? Or families who have different viewpoints? Especially in light of the recent suggestion to adopt the NHS Resolution of Inclusivity.

There are a number of voices that would like to be acknowledged when it comes to any discussion on LGBTQ+ issues. Those who are now de-transitioning would like consideration too.

As you can see from this short trailer, there are three girls featured who now regret their transition. In the documentary film Detransition Diaries, they present stories of three young women who felt that their trauma and dysphoria would be fixed by trying to medically transition from female to male.

Medical professionals, therapists, counselors, and even school officials, affirmed that these girls were indeed “trans,” but once they stared down this path, they each realized that they had made a terrible mistake.

They all began a medical transition by taking testosterone, and one even went as far as having a double mastectomy. They changed their names, hair, and pronouns, thinking that this would relieve them from their duress and suicidal ideations. It wasn’t true.

The film focuses on the rising number of young girls and women who have decided to transition. Statistics show that between 2016 and 2017 the rate of gender surgeries among women and girls quadrupled in the U.S., and continues to rise. This, they say, is due in part, to the reality of the new social contagion.

Since this film will be released in the fall, I am also requesting that the teachers who will be trained by Seacoast Outright also view this documentary.

While I do understand that medical situations will not be part of the training, Jessica did confirm that teachers could ask questions. The FDA issued a warning on puberty blockers, because of some of the severe side effects some children were experiencing.

A Swedish hospital discontinued the use of puberty blockers.  A girl who was put on a regimen of puberty-blocking drugs to transition to a boy, after five years of treatment, developed osteoporosis and suffered damage to his vertebrae. The mother of the teen told a journalist that “He felt so bad that he tried suicide attempts on several occasions. We didn’t understand, we thought our child would feel better from the treatment.”

You can see that some of the outcomes have been severe in terms of their medical and mental health. Important information like this should not be kept out of the conversation.

I believe Mr. Hobbs mentioned that a discussion on pronouns would be part of the training provided by Seacoast Outright. I suggested to Jessica that it would have been helpful to have a legal expert available to answer questions that could help the teachers understand their civil rights as well as the civil rights of the students. I would expect that this kind of training would cover current lawsuits that are pending or the case where a professor was awarded $400,000.00 in a settlement after refusing to use preferred pronouns. A case in SAU16 is currently pending after a student refused to use preferred pronouns. Our teachers need all of the facts without any political bias.

As you move forward with the training, I hope that you will make these adjustments so that parents are not left questioning what will be presented to their children’s teachers.

I await your reply and would still like to set up a time to meet.