Seattle Public Schools admits students sent controversial cards to Moms for Liberty

SEATTLE (CITC) — Seattle Public Schools admitted Monday that student-created cards decrying Moms for Liberty's alleged lack of support for LGBTQ+ youth were sent to the nationally recognized parental rights organization.

Moms for Liberty (MFL) shared photos of the cards Saturday. The cards, decorated with rainbows, peace signs and hearts, display messages such as "gay is slay, stop being a rat" and "stop bullying and excluding LGBTQ youth and families."

MFL also shared a photo of the envelope the cards were sent in, which is postmarked June 10. An included letter written by Seattle Public Schools (SPS) teacher Ann Christianson says the cards are "from concerned middle school students."

"Love who you want," MFL co-founder Tiffany Justice wrote in response on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "This isn't about sexual orientation. This is about the sexualization of children. It's completely unnecessary and actually quite harmful."

Members of MFL chapters nationwide have frequently taken to school board meetings to urge educators to keep content age-appropriate, such as by restricting access to sexually explicit library books. The actions have placed the parental rights organization on the receiving end of accusations of being anti-LGBTQ+.

READ MORE | Seattle Public Schools 'upholds the school-to-prison-pipeline,' school board member says

"Can’t wait to research the reading proficiency of Seattle middle schools," Justice continued. "We can chat about the political activism being fostered in the government schools versus the actual learning taking place."

When Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) asked SPS to confirm the authenticity of the cards, a spokesperson said "the materials in question were sent last spring as an independent activity and not part of the school curriculum."

"We firmly uphold the rights of our students, staff, and families to express their authentic selves," the spokesperson told CITC.

CITC also attempted to reach Christianson to inquire about the teacher's reasoning for the activity. When using the teacher's school-issued email address, CITC received an automatic response stating Christianson is "currently on a leave of absence and not checking email."

READ MORE | Seattle Public Schools offering 'gender reaffirming care' to students at 'no cost'

SPS sparked controversy earlier this year when it was discovered the district offers "gender reaffirming care" to students at no cost. Two health centers at the district are operated by a Washington State nonprofit which provides, among other things, gender transition medications and referrals for gender transition surgeries.

Parents told CITC at the time that the offering of such care "creates a really troubling situation" for families, noting that schools "aren't doctor offices." SPS stated its health centers "follow all applicable laws and regulations."

The SPS letters were shared just days after MFL removed two Kentucky chapter chairs from their leadership roles after they were seen posing for photos with Proud Boys members. MFL said the former chairs demonstrated "a lack of judgement" and a "misalignment" with the parental rights organization's "core values."

Over the summer, Moms for Liberty and other parents rights' groups were labeled "extremist" organizations by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which itself has been "criticized for its financial practices and for characterizing non-violent conventional conservative organizations as equivalent to violent extremists," according to Influence Watch.

GOP lawmakers have accused the Biden administration of colluding with the SPLC to create the label, pointing to a meeting earlier this year between an SPLC representative and a Biden official.

Have something for the Crisis in the Classroom team to investigate? Call or text the national tip line at 202-417-7273.