COLORADO SPRINGS — Controversy surrounding private meetings with a parent, a former teacher at Challenger Middle School, and Academy School District 20 administration brought other concerned parents to Thursday's school board meeting.
Defense of Democracy, a public education advocacy organization, obtained several emails between the parties. The emails reveal notes of an hour-and-a-half-long meeting held on Sept. 15 that was originally called by Brian Moody, a district 20 parent and the chair of Advocates for D20 Kids, to discuss the district's 2021-2022 Strategic Plan. Later in the meeting, Moody brought up concerns that "schools are catering to one group and therefore making others feel disenfranchised."
According to the meeting notes, Don Spano, a former teacher at Challenger Middle School, was also in attendance during that meeting. When parties were discussing concerns about the new generation of teachers pushing a certain agenda, Spano proposed an idea of a separate LGBTQ school or campus. The meeting notes said Spano suggested parents could send their kids to a school where teachers and admin believe in similar ideas and that "the district could have traditional schools and non-traditional schools."
A separate email exchange on Nov. 11 between Moody and Academy District 20 Superintendent Thomas Gregory reveals the two had a meeting where transgender bathroom policies were brought up. In an email sent to Gregory, Moody outlines several points he said were articulated by Gregory regarding possible policies. According to the email, one of those potential policies requests parental involvement when a student decides to change their gender identity. Another point allegedly outlined by Gregory is that no bathroom or locker room usage different than a student's biological sex would be allowed.
At Thursday's school board meeting Moody told KOAA the potential policies in the email exchange were first articulated by Gregory and that Advocates for D20 Kids was in agreement with his position. However, he denied that the group supports a separate school for LGBTQ+ students.
"Our group's standard is simple, that kids should use the bathroom of their birth gender, and there should be accommodations made with staff bathrooms for kids that have concerns with that, but essentially the simple policy that kids should use their birth gender bathroom," Moody said.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community and those with Defense of Democracy showed up to the board meeting to voice their concerns with the discussions revealed in the email exchange.
"Should a child choose to use a separate bathroom or locker room, they want parental involvement in all of those decisions. But as we know, and as we've learned, that's not always a safe thing for kids, because they can be put into an abusive environment if their parents aren't on board," said Erin Stevens, co-chair of Defense of Democracy.
Before the meeting began, Thomas LaValley, the District 20 school board president, addressed the discussion of separating LGBTQ+ students that was detailed in the meeting notes.
"I think I can safely say that the board has never discussed, would never discuss, and in fact would condemn any thought of separating students at schools based on anything except parental choice," LaValley said.
The transgender bathroom policies discussed by Moody and the superintendent are not confirmed district policies. KOAA reached out to talk with board members about the email exchanges involving administration. A district public relations specialist said board members would not be commenting on the matter.
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