Parents pull children from class over presentation at Halifax area school
A number of parents at Oyster Pond Academy pulled their children from class Friday after learning about a gender identity presentation.
"It went above and beyond what should be taught in the classroom," said Hollie Riggs, a parent with children at the school.
The presentation focused on sexual identity, gender diversity, and relationships – all part of the curriculum.
Riggs said she first learned the presentation happened on social media Thursday evening and decided to pull her child out of class.
"I wanted to have to avoid them having that conversation with their peers after school, to avoid that communication, so I can have it at home," Riggs said.
Some parents learned from their children that the presenter shared their social media account Riggs said, which allegedly included content intended for an older audience.
"It was the fact that how much of it was discussed and what the kids had access to after the meeting," said Riggs.
In a statement to CTV News the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) confirmed that there was a presentation for grade 9 students and that a representative from the Youth Project was talking to them.
"One of the presenters shared their personal social media details, which prompted some of the students to view content that is intended for an adult audience," the statement said.
Letter received by parents from the administration of Oyster Pond Academy.
Riggs said she was upset that students who wanted to opt out were not allowed.
"When I asked him about it, he said, 'mom I didn't want to be there, but they weren't letting us leave,'” said Riggs.
"My son came home from school yesterday. He was telling me about the interactions he had with the influencer," said Greg Austin, another parent whose son attends the school. "Mostly for me as a parent, we had no idea that anybody was coming to talk to our kids."
Austin said his son didn’t feel good about the presentation.
"He could see people were not comfortable and that other people asked to leave, and they weren't allowed to,” said Austin. “There wasn't any other option."
After hearing parents concerns the school administrators sent an email telling parents that they are required to follow the Inclusive Education Policy and health curriculum and that if parents have concerns about provincial policies it is a matter to address with their MLA rather than the school.
"Where does it say this is going to happen in the curriculum? I would have made it a point to at least prep my children for what they might be about to see,” said Austin
One parent told CTV News that they had no issues with the presentation and said their child, who is navigating gender identity challenges, found the talk helpful. The said they hope these conversations continue to take place in schools.
HRCE said administrators visited the grade 9 class Friday to discuss what happened and explain that the personal social media account should not have been shared.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. election campaign ends with downpours, handshakes, tough questions
A whirlwind 28-day campaign has now ended, undoubtedly going down in history one of the most unusual election campaigns British Columbians have ever seen.
Parents pull children from class over presentation at Halifax area school
A number of parents at Oyster Pond Academy pulled their children from class Friday after learning about a gender identity presentation.
Ontario man told to 'go back to India' explains why he shared video of the encounter online
A Waterloo, Ont. man is sharing video of a recent encounter with a stranger to give others an idea of the hate he experiences in the community.
Israeli footage showing the last minutes of Hamas leader's life sets off a debate over his legacy
The world’s final glimpse of Hamas' leader was rough and raw, showing him wounded and cornered as he sat in a bombed-out Palestinian home and faced down the Israeli drone filming him, hurling a stick at it.
Why Andrew Garfield’s flirty appearance on ‘Chicken Shop Date’ has the internet abuzz
On Friday, Oscar-nominated actor Andrew Garfield finally appeared on Amelia Dimoldenberg's latest episode of 'Chicken Shop Date,' her popular long-running YouTube interview show that takes place, date-style, over a meal at a local chicken shop in London.
Sydney Sweeney says she's been 'immersed in training' for new role unlike anything she's done before
Sydney Sweeney is tapping into the ring as she prepares for a new film role that will stand out as compared to her previous body of work.
opinion Liz Cheney leads full-frontal assault against Trump's MAGA Republicans
With less than three weeks before the U.S. election, Washington political analyst Eric Ham highlights a full-frontal assault on Trump's MAGA movement by Liz Cheney and a cadre of disaffected Republicans.
Cuba gets some electricity back after major power outage left millions in the dark
Cuba's government on Saturday said that some electricity was restored on the island after one of the country's major power plants failed and left millions without electricity in an outage that started two days earlier.
There may be less chocolate at the door this Halloween
If you're heading out trick or treating this Halloween, you may end up with more chips, gummies, licorice and other goodies rather than chocolate. Cocoa prices have spiked, and that could be playing a trick with what your kids come home with and what you give out on Halloween night.