Manchester Parents Meet To Discuss Homeschooling Options
Posted
Maddie Jo Shultz-
NORTH MANCHESTER – Nearly 75 community members gathered at Victory Christian Fellowship Saturday evening for a meeting hosted by Nate Gephart.
Gephart and his wife recently withdrew their four children from Manchester Community Schools. He advertised the meeting on Facebook, inviting the public to discuss the school corporation’s upcoming transgender bathroom policy decision, short- and long-term goals for the North Manchester community surrounding that decision, and a possible homeschooling co-op for those who also want to withdraw their children from MCS.
In November, Gephart learned the school has a practice of allowing students to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with rather than their biological sex. These students must first meet with a guidance counselor and administrative staff to make this bathroom choice prior to using those facilities.
On Dec. 18, the school board held a work session to share information about gender diversity and relevant case law and obtain public input on the issue. Gephart and a host of other parents wore white to protest the school’s practice. This group left the work session during a gender diversity slideshow presented by the Wabash County Bowen Center.
Gephart told attendees at Victory Christian Fellowship that he received a letter from MCS on Dec. 19 promising a policy decision soon. “I suggest pulling your kids out of the school now,” Gephart said.
There were no students present at the meeting, although several parents related their children’s experiences at MCS and why they are considering a homeschool alternative.
One mother described a conversation with her daughter, who accused her of being homophobic. “This is what they’re teaching,” she said. “Political correctness.”
Another mother described how her son’s eighth-grade class had to write down their preferred names and pronouns.
Gephart described what he calls a “bigger agenda” behind these changes in today’s schools. “We’ve got to stop being so politically correct,” he said. “We need to pray for this town and this nation.”
Gephart asked for a show of hands to determine how many parents in the room would unenroll their children from the schools and bring them instead to a homeschooling co-op. Parents then raised a certain number of fingers to signify how many children they would bring. Gephart counted 35.
Handouts were distributed at the end of the meeting.
“Schools are willfully violating the safety and privacy of students with transgender bathroom access,” read the handout. “Why are schools pushing a radical sexual agenda on children? Who is behind this? Why are they refusing to listen to concerned parents?”
The handout also included an invitation for the group’s next gathering at the Silver Lake Community Center on Jan. 11. The first session will begin at 10 a.m., followed by lunch and another session at 1 p.m. Gephart encouraged the public to attend.
