In the summer of 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly passed SB49, the Parents' Bill of Rights, overriding the veto of Governor Roy Cooper (who is currently handling Hurricane Helene response about as horribly as the Biden administration is).
Among the provisions within the Bill of Rights are standards for what books can be included in school instruction, notably that parents have a say on whether the left's favorite pornographic books for kids can be taught to their children. Because the bill was passed late in the summer, it allowed for schools to phase in compliance until January 2024. But we are now in an entirely new school year and all North Carolina schools should be in compliance.
It will come as a surprise to no one that some schools are not, in fact, complying. This was the case in the Wake County Public School System, which comprises Raleigh-Durham and surrounding areas. A couple of weeks ago, 15-year-old student Lorena Benson went to the school board to complain that she was being forced to read a short story that included a graphic description of sexual activity between two cousins.
You read that right. Cousins.
Benson was predictably ignored by the school board, so Pastor John Amanchukwu -- a noted activist against inappropriate content in schools -- and others took up her cause. On Monday night, Amanchukwu went to speak at the Wake County school board meeting on behalf of Benson.
His reward? The school board had him arrested.
It's true!!
— John K. Amanchukwu Sr. (@REVWUTRUTH) October 2, 2024
I was handcuffed tonight at the Wake County school board meeting for demanding justice for Lorena Benson. A 15 yr. old girl who was forced to read and discuss inappropriate content at school and for reprimanding the Wake County school board for violating… pic.twitter.com/JrB2PCuKT1
Some additional context is needed here. Amanchukwu did exceed his three minutes of speaking time at the meeting. And he announced his intention to do so. Yes, he was being deliberately disruptive. That's called civil disobedience, something the left used to pretend to love. For the school board to respond by cuffing him -- for speaking on behalf of students they are ignoring -- exemplifies everything that is wrong with leftist, woke school boards across the country.
Here is the full video of Amanchukwu's powerful speech to the school board:
At the end, you can see both Amanchukwu and School Board president Chris Heagarty (a far-left former Democrat state representative) accusing each other of breaking the law. In Heagarty's case, this is patently ridiculous. Refusing to leave the podium might be a violation of the school board's rules, but it is not illegal.
For Amanchukwu's part, it's a little more complicated, but the school board is not really breaking the law either. The school board says that is 'considering' the complaint of Benson and her father about the story she was forced to read, but they have not come to a conclusion. Guess what? They never will. The North Carolina Parents Bill of Rights only explicitly prohibits sexual instruction through the fourth grade, so a middle school teacher having these materials in his or her classroom library is not prohibited.
However, under SB49, Benson's father is authorized to remove his daughter from this instruction, but it does not appear that this exclusion was afforded to her or that she or her father were given notice of what reading materials would be included in her instruction. That does violate the Parents' Bill of Rights.
Regardless of any legal considerations, however, listening to Amanchukwu read off the laundry list of sexually explicit materials still in Wake County libraries says that North Carolina still has a ways to go.
And listening to Heagarty demand his arrest at the meeting says that he needs to be out of a job ... as soon as possible.
Stand Up parents and Speak Out 👇👇This is what’s happening in our nation and we cannot remain silent 🤫 👇👇🙏 https://t.co/vTn2wtFCki
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) October 3, 2024
When pastors are arrested for protesting children being forced to read about sticking bananas in the tomatoes of their cousins, you know it's time to wipe out, demolish, destroy, and obliterate the Department of Education. Curriculum in schools MUST be the choice of parents, not… https://t.co/uaKqWLwxs5
— Joyreaper (@joyreaper) October 3, 2024
The rest of this tweet reads:
Curriculum in schools MUST be the choice of parents, not liberal far left enthusiasts guided by the #wokemindvirus!
Never should a PASTOR be arrested for protesting what Lorena Benson, a 15 year old girl was forced to read and discuss! This is appalling and THIS is what's wrong with America!
Our children are being brainwashed by force!
This is the left. We need to root them out of office everywhere. https://t.co/2vhGuW8Fso
— 1Shot1Kill (@Real1Shot1Kill) October 3, 2024
This tweet right here. ALL of this tweet.
It is a Presidential election year and that means the race at the top of the ticket is going to suck up almost all of the oxygen in the room. Any leftover oxygen will be taken up by Senate races, gubernatorial contests, or hotly contested House races.
But we must remember to save some of that oxygen for city councils and school boards. This is where the differences in your everyday lives happen and this is where decisions are made that affect the quality of education (or lack thereof) in schools across America.
Look at the end of the YouTube video above. Amanchukwu is getting a standing ovation from every parent in the audience.
Parents do not want this content in schools. Period.
And parents do not want school board members like Heagarty smugly skirting the edges of laws to inject critical theory of any nature into educational curricula. And even more smugly calling for the removal of anyone who opposes him.
When you get out to vote this year, or hopefully when you are doing even more than that -- making phone calls, knocking on doors, sending emails, volunteering -- yes, we need to make sure that Kamala Harris doesn't get anywhere near the White House.
But just as importantly, we need to make sure that woke, would-be tyrants like Chris Heagarty (and far too many others just like him on school boards across the country) are shown the door and never put in positions of power again.
Remember the bottom and back of the ballot this year, everyone. Your child's education depends on it.
