A preschool instructor in North Carolina was caught teaching 3- and 4-year-old children colors using unapproved LGBTQ flash cards that included images of a pregnant guy.
After a constituent of State Representative Erin Pare informed the Republican about the cards at Ballantine Elementary School in Wake County, it was discovered that the teacher, who has not been identified, had used them on the preschoolers.
Paré called the school’s principal to ask if she was aware of the cards’ use, which depict LGBTQ couples and explain what each of the Pride Flag’s colors means.
The cards are made by a now-defunct company called ByUs Box, which also made sets of flash cards showcasing non-binary and transgender animals, gender neutral nursery rhymes and a ‘Blackness Collection.’ The company was created by two women who said they were inspired by the murder of George Floyd.
North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore and Paré say that Principal Lutashia Dove – who was unaware they were being used – verified that the teacher had been using the cards outside the approved curriculum.
Dove then ‘took possession of the cards’ and contacted the local superintendent and human resources.
‘I am grateful that a concerned constituent reached out and that this issue is being addressed in a swift and professional manner by Ballentine Elementary School,’ said Paré.
‘Schools should only be using age-appropriate materials, and these flashcards clearly do not meet that standard for a pre-school classroom,’ she added.
‘I hope schools across Wake County and the State of North Carolina will follow the example of Ballentine and respond swiftly when a parent expresses concern and ensure that materials like this are not being used to teach young students.’
The school district released a statement on its own, according to the News & Observer.
‘The district is concerned to learn of the inappropriate instructional resource found in a preschool classroom,’ they said. ‘An initial review determined that flash cards were not tied to the district’s Pre-K curriculum, did not complement, enrich, or extend the curriculum and were used without the principal’s review, knowledge, and/or approval.’
Currently, the North Carolina General Assembly is attempting to pass legislation that they believe would address what they call ‘age-inappropriate classroom materials’ and would give parents more control over what children are taught in school.