Family Erupts Over Fourth Grade Trans Lesson

A Washington mother is removing her children from an elementary school that forced her daughter through a secret, explicit LGBT Pride-themed lesson.

The lesson reportedly occurred during a fourth-grade music class at Martha Lake Elementary in the Edmonds School District on June 15. Parents were not given any notice to opt out or any information about the lesson itself before their children were exposed to the curriculum, according to Maria Varchetto.

“My daughter came home just so drastically upset the last week of school telling me that the music teacher decided to teach a whole curriculum about Pride history and Pride Month,” Varchetto told Talk Radio 570 KVI, a conservative Washington radio station.

“I assumed I had probably missed an email asking for consent, but there was nothing,” Varchetto said in communications with school administrators that she shared with Fox News. “No advanced notice, no opportunity to review the lesson, no information letting parents know this topic would be discussed. No option to request that our kids be allowed to opt out and participate in an alternative activity. There was nothing.”

According to Varchetto, her daughter was forced to watch a video called “Why is PRIDE in JUNE?” from the channel Queer Kid Stuff that discussed the history of the gay movement and so-called bathroom rights for trans-identifying people. Her daughter said the class also watched videos of performances by LGBT singers such as Freddie Mercury of Queen and Lil Nas X, as well as Billy Porter dancing in a ball gown on “Sesame Street.”

Varchetto’s daughter said that students were also told they could identify as gay, lesbian, asexual, transgender, non-binary, or two-spirit.

“No handouts were sent home (which is typical for music class),” Varchetto told Fox News. The mother emailed administrators for a copy of the lesson materials, but she was told they could only be reviewed in person, not electronically.

“I need parents to be informed of this,” Varchetto said. “Parents have the right to know what was taught to their kids. Whether or not you agree with it or disagree is irrelevant. You don’t get to teach and go rogue on subjects that are this controversial without providing parents a notice to opt out.”

The principal explained to Varchetto in a meeting that the Pride lesson was not district-approved curriculum and that teachers are allowed to make their own lessons. The principal said that the music teacher tied a lesson to a month’s theme, such as “Black History Month” for February or “Hispanic Heritage Month” for September. 

Varchetto said she told the principal, “Okay, that makes sense. Those are cultures. Those are not gender identities. Big difference there.”

The principal gave Varchetto a list of the subjects covered in the music class, and Varchetto reviewed the end-of-year summary that the music teacher sent to parents. Neither document mentioned the “Pride Month” lesson.

The principal reportedly explained that the school was apprehensive about telling parents about the lesson because it “would just isolate the LGBTQ community, making them feel like people can opt out of their content.”

Unsatisfied with how the school handled the situation, Varchetto said she gave the school several weeks to notify parents before making her concerns public. When no notice was posted, she sent an email to district administrators requesting that her children be transferred from the school.  

Varchetto ultimately decided to put her kids through hybrid homeschooling. 

“We are 100% removing our kids from this school as I have no trust in the leadership,” Varchetto said.

“I feel mad they did this, mad they hid it,” Varchetto added. “I feel insulted, offended, angry, and sad that my kids are now being taken out of a lifestyle they’ve grown to love, away from the friendships they’ve built, all because this one teacher didn’t care to ask permission and a principal lied and hid it.”