A North Carolina teacher was recently exposed for using LGBTQ-themed flashcards in a preschool classroom as a way to teach young children their colors. North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore shared photos of the cards on Friday, saying that the images were recently emailed to Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake).
The flashcards, which were used at Ballentine Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina, led to concerns because one of them shows an image of what appears to be a pregnant man. According to a press release, Rep. Paré immediately reached out to the school’s principal who verified with the teacher that the cards had been used in the classroom. The principal advised that the flashcards were not part of the approved curriculum and said she was unaware of their use.
A spokesperson from Wake County released the statement, “An initial review determined that flashcards were not tied to the district’s Pre-K curriculum, did not complement, enrich, or extend the curriculum, and were used without the principal’s review, knowledge, and/or approval.”
According to the district, the cards were removed from the school. This comes as North Carolina Senate lawmakers held their first hearing Wednesday on what some are calling the state’s version of a Florida law that critics referred to as “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.
North Carolina House Bill 755 would ban any mention of sexual orientation or gender identity from the curriculum in kindergarten through third grade. Under the bill, schools would have to notify parents if a student asks to use a different name or different pronouns to describe themselves.
They would also have to let parents know if a student is seeing an in-school counselor, or if there’s any change in a student’s mental, physical, or emotional well-being. Teachers and schools could face lawsuits for violating the bill.
