An LGBTQ+ ally group run by a teacher at Fairfax County Public Schools devised a plan to combat parent-run pushback to critical race theory-inspired curriculum in Virginia’s public schools, according to an email obtained by the Daily Caller.
Robert Rigby, a Latin teacher at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and leader of the FCPS Pride organization, sent an email to students, parents and teachers encouraging them to participate in school board meetings to combat the “phantom problem” of “critical race theory.”
Rigby specifically called for activists to participate and speak at school board meetings between December and February. The teacher said that the district is “under attack.”
“Alas public schools in Fairfax County and Virginia are under attack (with an apparent motive of increasing ‘school choice’; it has become clear that this includes to have public funding to ‘choose’ schools which exclude LGBTQIA+ staff and students; or to choose schools which will ‘fix’ their students’ gender identity and/or sexual orientation (for, by example, by [sic] systemically misgendering students),” the email reviewed by the Daily Caller reads.
“Part of this attack has come from weaponizing history, diversity, and inclusion via the fuss about the phantom problem of ‘CRT,’” the email continued. “Some comes [sic] from weaponizing inclusive libraries, such as those that have LGBTQIA+ books.”
The email included instructions on how to sign up to speak and emphasized that increased attendance to “support speakers” is also “key.”
“Keep in mind that this is long-haul; so do what you can; coming to every meeting can be exhausting — don’t overextend until we need to,” Rigby said.
FCPS Pride appears to have overt political leanings, according to the group’s Twitter page. In one tweet, the group called out Parents Defending Education, a concerned parent group, Elizabeth Schultz, who helps with Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s team, and media organizations such as Fox News, The Daily Wire and Breitbart.
This appears to be part of the weaponization of LGBTQIA student clubs fostered by Parents Defending Education (which locally employs Asra Nomani and Elizabeth Schultz) in alliance with some media (Fox News, Daily Wire, Breitbart) and some explicitly political organizations.
— FCPS Pride (@FCPSPride) November 27, 2021
A similar group exists in nearby Loudoun County, Virginia. The group goes by the name “Loudoun 4 All,” and claims that parents upset about critical race theory are “sowing misinformation.” Parents in Loudoun County told the Daily Caller they noticed that efforts by both Loudoun 4 All and FCPS Pride ramped up following the election of Youngkin.
“Alt-Right operatives have been sowing misinformation and chaos aimed at inciting anger and division in Loudoun County. The campaign against the School Board is a highly coordinated misinformation campaign,” Loudoun 4 All’s website reads. (RELATED: $1.3 Million Loudoun ‘Diverse Texts’ Effort Under Fire As Parents Highlight Book Depicting Underage Incest)
The Loudoun organization also claims that critical race theory is not taught in Loudoun County Public Schools, though countless reports show that the district implements the core tenets of the ideology.