Maine teacher claims Democrat governor 'caved' by removing transgender video for children
Categories: US Education News
A Maine teacher claimed that the Democratic governor and state department of education "caved to pressure" when they removed her LGBTQ-themed lesson video for kindergartners from a state website.Kailina Mills, who reportedly teaches kindergarten at Whitefield Elementary School in Whitefield, Maine, made a video for an online resource hub created early in the pandemic to allow teachers to share lesson plans.In the video, Mills discussed "Freedom Holidays" such as the Fourth of July and Juneteenth before pivoting to talk about different sexual orientations, same-sex marriage and transgender identity. In touching on transgender issues, she told the young students that doctors sometimes make mistakes when they assign gender at birth.The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) reviewed the online lesson plan following the ad and said last Wednesday that it had been removed. The governor was not aware of the video "and agrees with the Department of Education’s decision to remove the lesson," said Lindsay Crete, the governor's spokesperson.Mills claimed she has "taught preschool students who are transgender and non-binary, and it is a fact that I have worked with parents who are L, G, B, and T." "Those children and those families deserve to be represented in their school curriculum. Public schools are for everyone and should, therefore, include everyone," she continued.Citing various academic studies, Mills went on to claim that "using accurate pronouns and receiving affirmation from families, teachers, peers, and doctors is suicide prevention, and this affirming care must begin as early as Kindergarten because that’s when children are solidifying their gender identity."