Education

Prosecutors: No Charges In Death Of Nex Benedict

NPR reports: Prosecutors in Oklahoma say they will not pursue charges in the death of Nex Benedict. Bullying someone to attempt or complete suicide is a felony in Oklahoma, reported member station KOSU. But Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler says the fight was not one-sided and there’s not enough evidence to press charges. “Based upon the investigation of the …

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Nonbinary Teen Nex Benedict’s Death Ruled A Suicide

ABC News reports: Oklahoma 16-year-old Nex Benedict died by suicide, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Benedict, a member of the 2SLGBTQ community, died one day after getting into a physical fight with several other students at Owasso High School. Benedict was nonbinary and went by they/them pronouns, according to …

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QAnon Extremist Wins Nomination To Run NC Schools

Media Matters reports: Michele Morrow, the Republican nominee for state superintendent of public instruction in North Carolina, frequently promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory in newly unearthed social media posts. She also referenced a QAnon-fueled conspiracy theory to suggest that actor Jim Carrey drinks the blood of children. Morrow is a far-right commentator who has written for Newsmax and appeared on …

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Multiple States Set To Place Chaplains In Public Schools

Axios reports: Conservative states are pushing to allow chaplains in public schools, in theory to help solve a persistent shortage of counselors. Since Texas introduced it own blueprint last year, allowing schools to use safety funds to hire chaplains who do not have the same licensing as counselors, similar bills have ricocheted across more than a dozen states including Florida, …

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Florida Approves Kindergarten Classes On Communism

Florida Politics reports: The mistakes made by the Soviets, the Chinese and other communist regimes are one step closer to being part of Florida K-12 classrooms. The House passed by a 106-7 vote SB 1264, a “History of Communism” product previously passed by a 25-7 vote in the Senate, putting the bill on a path for a Gov. Ron DeSantis …

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Kentucky Advances Bill To Arm School “Guardians”

The Associated Press reports: Kentucky school districts could hire retired law officers or military veterans to serve as armed guardians offering security at schools under a bill advanced by a state Senate committee on Thursday. The proposal cleared the Senate Education Committee and heads to the full Senate next. It would still need House approval if it gains Senate passage. …

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TX High School Cancels Play About Matthew Shepard

The Dallas Morning News reports: A Keller high school production of The Laramie Project — a play about the aftermath of the 1998 murder of a gay student in Wyoming — was canceled. Timber Creek High School parents received an email Friday night saying that students would no longer perform the show this spring. The email did not provide an …

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Florida House Approves Chaplains For Public Schools, Bill’s “Tongues-Speaking Exorcist” Sponsor Celebrates

Florida Politics reports: Bipartisan legislation that could put religious figures in your child’s classroom passed the House by an 89-25 margin, after a spirited debate in which one of the sponsors called herself a “Holy Roller” and said she “casts out devils.” HB 931, sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan McClain and Democratic Rep. Kim Daniels [photo], would “authorize volunteer school …

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School To Release Video In Death Of Nonbinary Teen

NBC News reports: Authorities in Oklahoma will release video from inside the school where the family of an LGBTQ student said the teen was attacked and assaulted in a bathroom one day before their death, police said Wednesday. Hallway cameras inside Owasso High School West Campus show the student, Nex Benedict, before and after the Feb. 7 fight, Owasso Police …

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WV House Approves Bill That Could Jail Librarians

The New Republic reports: The Republican-controlled West Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that could see librarians facing jail time. House Bill 4654 passed the chamber Friday by a vote of 85–12, along party lines. The bill would remove criminal exemptions for schools, public libraries, and museums that distribute or display “obscene matter” to a minor, even if …

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Texas School Board Member Resigns After Helping Evangelical Film Crew Sneak Into High School [VIDEO]

Dallas’s ABC affiliate reports: A Keller ISD school board member announced on Facebook Sunday she will resign from her position. In a post from her now-deleted page, Sandi Walker wrote she decided to resign as a trustee after prayer and conversations with friends and family. Walker added she was proud of what the board had accomplished in her nearly two …

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Evangelicals Sneak Film Crew Into Texas High School

Dallas’s ABC affiliate reports: As they stood together near Keller ISD’s Central High School on Friday, a group of parents shared their anger and frustration. “I’m livid,” said Laney Hawes, a parent whose child attends Central HS. “Our rights and our kids rights have been violated.” Their anger stems from what the district confirmed happened last Friday, February 9. Sandi …

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FL Bill Creates Kindergarten Lessons On Communism

Florida Politics reports: Tuesday’s PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee will mull Rep. Chuck Brannan’s HB 1349, which would compel schools to start teaching the “History of Communism” in grades K-12. The lessons are intended to be “age and developmentally appropriate,” and it would indeed be interesting to see how teachers of young students deal with such heady topics as the history of …

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Indiana AG’s Teacher Snitch Line Gets Flooded By Trolls

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reports: A new dashboard unveiled by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office makes public more than two dozen allegations of “potentially inappropriate materials” in Hoosier schools, like critical race theory materials and gender identity policies. But numerous local officials told the Indiana Capital Chronicle they weren’t made aware of the complaints and contend the allegations were not …

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Utah Teen Hit With “Swarm Of Cyberbullying” After State Education Official Suggests She Is Transgender

NBC News reports: A Utah state school board member is facing widespread condemnation and calls to resign after she shared a post on social media that appeared to suggest a 16-year-old girl on her school’s basketball team is transgender. Natalie Cline, a member of the Utah State Board of Education, posted earlier this week on Facebook a flier for a …

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Anti-Woke Activist Linked To “Scientific Racism” Outlet

The Guardian reports: Rightwing activist Christopher Rufo has links to a self-styled “sociobiology magazine” that is focused on the supposed relationships between race, intelligence and criminality, and which experts have characterized as an outlet for scientific racism. At the time of reporting, Aporia was one of 19 Substack newsletters Rufo links to in the “recommended” section on his own newsletter, …

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Oklahoma Wants Teachers To Return Their Bonuses

The Associated Press reports: The repayment demands have Oklahoma’s education agency drawing fierce criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, some of whom say teachers shouldn’t be forced to give the money back. Average teacher pay in Oklahoma is about $54,800, which ranks 38th in the country, according to the National Education Association. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, …

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Florida Universities Cancel “Woke” Sociology Course

The Messenger reports: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ so-called “anti-woke” crusade has now removed sociology as a core class from all 12 of the state’s public universities. What the board refers to as a “factual history course” is replacing Principles of Sociology in the universities in what is widely seen as the start of a general rout of sociology classes. When …

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UT Lawmakers Pass Ban On College Diversity Programs

NBC News reports: Utah’s legislature became the latest in the U.S. to pass a bill Friday prohibiting diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. The bill that cleared the state House and Senate by wide margins now heads to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican who has said he is likely to sign such a …

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Florida Republicans Seek To Stem Flood Of Banned Books By Charging $100 To Object To More Than Five

Politico reports: Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature wanted to keep obscene books out of the hands of kids. But some are now acknowledging they created a “logistical nightmare” that lawmakers are trying to rein in. Legislators this month introduced a new idea to curb frivolous challenges to books — one of the first admissions the law, which tightened scrutiny around books with …

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