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A school district in Nevada implemented a training program that certifies certain teachers as "safe staff member[s] to discuss matters pertaining to sensitive topics," who upon completion of a specific training receive a placard to display in their classroom indicating they are an "ally," according to district documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
The Washoe County School District (WCSD) in the Reno, Nevada, area adopted the voluntary three-part "Brave Space" teacher training program as a way to support students who are reporting more stress and asking for more emotional support, due to COVID-19, "racial tensions," the "Capitol riot" and "unsettling times," according to a presentation shared by a concerned parent whose child attends middle school in the district.
The mother, who has opted to remain anonymous over concerns that school administrators could retaliate against her or her child, is suing the school district for its enforcement of district policy 5161 regarding "Gender Identity And Gender Non-Conformity- Students," according to the complaint filed by attorneys Sigal Chattah and Joey Gilbert.
Courtesy of Washoe County School District (Washoe County School District)
The policy outlines protocols for staff about how they should communicate with the district's transgender and gender non-conforming students, which allows children to make decisions regarding their gender identity without parental consent and establishes policies to conceal these decisions at home.
Transgender and gender non-conforming students have a right to privacy and as a result, staff should not "disclose information that may reveal a student's transgender non-conforming status to others, including parents/guardians or others staff members." Under the policy, students are allowed to use names, pronouns, restrooms, locker rooms, school facilities, terminology, dress codes, as well as attend physical eduction classes and intramural sports that correspond with their chosen gender identity.
In addition, district policy 9200 allows students to file a formal complaint if there is an "intentional or persistent refusal to respect a student's gender identity, such as by referring to the student by a name or pronounce that does not correspond to the student's gender identity."
Chattah, one of the lawyers who filed the complaint, said children who don't use the proper pronouns for their peers could be subject to discipline. She described both policies 5161 and 9200 as unconstitutional, which she sees as a way to train teachers on how to take the place of a parent.
"What we're trying to do is we're trying to protect the family unit," Chattah told Fox News Digital. "What we're seeing with these policies and specifically 5161, is that it really is hostile to parents rights and raising their children."
She noted that while the Brave Space training isn't specifically delineated in 5161, if the policy is invalidated, the Brave Space program should also be omitted.
The program provides "a way for employees to indicate that all students are welcome regardless of sex, race, or gender identity" and allows employees "who received specific training" to be "be approached to discuss concerns regarding sex, race, gender identity or other sensitive topics," according to Brave Space presentations obtained by Fox News Digital. "Brave Space participants have to be sensitive to issues regarding confidentiality."
A teacher instructs students in a social distanced classroom. (Chicago Public Schools / Twitter)
"What it really does is it trains teachers how to step in place of the parent," Chattah said. "If a parent's response would be, 'No you're a boy' or 'No, you're a girl' ... a teacher that's certified through the Brave Space program would be essentially capitulating to this narrative that gender identity is a much greater issue than just biology.
"What they're doing is training teachers to engage in this secrecy," she said.
"They could train faculty on whatever they want to train them on, but the faculty cannot use that particular training to influence a student," she added. "What we want to make sure is that training does not then percolate into the classroom and have these teachers be so-called certified Brave Space teachers."
A presentation by the district's Equity and Diversity department about the program stated its goal was to provide professional learning to address equity and inclusion, culturally responsive teaching, the achievement gap, unconscious bias and systemic barriers.
Educators are encouraged to become "culturally proficient Brave Space Leaders" who "Speak YOUR truth" and "Experience discomfort." Examples seen as barriers to a "transformative learning environment" include "Caretaking the privileged," which involves "Reassuring someone confronting their own privilege that they are not a bad person just because they've received unearned benefits from entitlement."
In addition, unhealthy engagement with peers is described as learning through comfort in a "safe space" with polite discussion, while healthy engagement is described as "learning through disequilibrium."
The district also actively pushed the idea of "equity," defining it as a situation where students might go through a different process to achieve the "same end-goal." Educators are encouraged to look at things through an "equity lens" and for any policy, program or practice they are told to ask themselves, "What marginalized groups are affected/impacted?" or "Does the program ignore or worsen existing disparities?"
In one part of the training, teachers are required to watch a video called "5 Tips For Being An Ally" by YouTuber @chescaleigh, where she lists off all the ways viewers can change their mindset and actions to achieve "ally" status.
Students wearing masks board a school bus. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)
"Understand your privilege," she said. "A lot of people get hung up on the word privilege, so let me break it down for you nice and easy. Privilege does not mean that you are rich, that you've had an easy life, that everything has been handed to you and you've never had to struggle or work hard."
"All it means is that there are some things in life that you will not experience or ever have to think about just because of who you are," she added. "It's kind of like those horses who have those blinders on. They can see just find, there's just a whole bunch of stuff on the side that they don't even know exists."
She also explains that everyone should "listen and do your homework," stating "it’s not possible for you to learn if you aren't willing to listen. So you've got to know when to zappa the lippa" because it is "an ally's job is to support" so people should learn to "speak up, but not over."
"You want to make sure that you use your privilege and your voice to educate others, but make sure to do it in such a way that does not speak over the community members that you're trying to support, or take credit for things that they are already saying" she added. "This isn't Mario Kart, stay in your lane."
The video also said people should learn to apologize when they make mistakes because "unlearning problematic things takes time and work, so you are bound to mess up and trip and fall."
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"Just remember that it's not about your intent, it's about your impact, so when you get called out, make sure to listen, apologize, commit to changing your behavior and move forward," she added.