News & Updates
V I C T O R Y
The district had signed a $72,000 contract with the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio (DCNEO) for a K-12 “justice, equity, diversity and inclusion” (JEDI) program for the 2020-2021 school year. The contract stated that the district may not share the curriculum, claiming that it is “proprietary.” (Source: public document 7/1/2020 contract)
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Evidence presented by our citizens has brought down the administration's claim "We don't teach CRT" so that finally, our students will not be subjected to DCNEO instruction this year! The contract is not being renewed. (Source: direct email from Superintendent Michael Shoaf)
Superintendent Michael Shoaf has served on the DCNEO board of directors in an unpaid position. (Source: DCNEO website, June 2021) After many months of citizen requests, it is reported that he has finally agreed to end this conflict of interest and step down from serving on the DCNEO board.
A group of about 25 gathered peacefully at the library on Thursday, June 17th, 2021 while the zoom drag queen storytime was going on. We prayed, held signs while standing along the sidewalk, and had a very nice time talking with one another! We were met with no hecklers. In fact most people who drove by were encouraging. A few staff members were outside for the summer reading program so saw our demonstration.
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Will it make a difference? We'll see. At least we are speaking up for what is right.
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Meanwhile please continue to circulate and request conservative and/or religious books and make your preferences known to the librarians.
Prior to this, some of us attended the May 26, 2021 board of trustees meeting at the library and spoke out against the planned Drag Queen Story Time.
The meeting was quite tense since Rocky River Black Lives Matter had heard about our plan to speak and brought in many people to defend the event who were openly hostile to us.
The text of one member's statement is below. Her comments were kept to the topic of whether having a drag queen perform for children is appropriate. Below is the reading list to accompany the event. It's quite clear from this that the purpose is to indoctrinate children with transgender ideology.
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“I have lived in Rocky River for 15 years. I have two teenage boys who grew up enjoying the Rocky River library. We love our library and recognize that it is one of the best in the state.
I am here representing the group Rocky River Citizens for Transparency. We, along with many parents and concerned citizens in Rocky River, object to the upcoming "Drag Queen Story Time" featuring "Sassy Sascha."
Drag queens, who are essentially hypersexualized caricatures of women, should not be interacting with children, and particularly not in a tax-funded public library. Why has "Sassy Sascha," an adult entertainer, been invited to appear in front of children? Your director has told me it’s in the name of diversity and inclusion. This is an odd and flimsy excuse to instill sexual confusion in children.
It is our understanding that this person is a “faux queen,” that is, a woman impersonating a man impersonating a woman. Do you see the irony of this person speaking to children about “being yourself” and “personal identity?”
There is absolutely no reason for anyone dressed up as a sexual character to read stories to children. You may say, “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to attend.” To this, I say: “Our tax dollars and public space may not be used to endorse a presentation explicitly intended to introduce sexual confusion to young children.” And that is clearly the intent. It is made clear by the accompanying book list, which includes resources on transgenderism.
If adults choose to watch drag queens perform in private venues, that is their business. But when drag queens are presented to children in public spaces, it becomes the concern of the entire community.”