Jackson Public Schools staff appear to keep sexual orientation and gender identity of students hidden from parents; district participated in summer camp limited to “BIPOC” and “LGBTQ” students; superintendent attended meeting with Human Rights Campaign

Parents Defending Education submitted a public records request to Jackson Public Schools by email requesting emails, professional development, and any curricula regarding LGBTQ issues in October 2022 but did not receive a response. PDE sent a smaller public records request to the district by mail in March 2023 seeking emails from school administrators and counselors regarding transgender issues. After PDE paid the district over $1,800 to fulfill this smaller request, PDE did not receive the documents until 15 months later in June 2024. The district’s emails provided to PDE appear to show district staff complicit in hiding the gender identity of students from parents and the district partnering with an organization for a summer camp specifically for students who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ.

One email that PDE received is from a student dated February 19, 2021. The email is from a student telling a high school counselor that “I am non-binary” and “now go by they/them pronouns.” This student also included a new name that was redacted by the district. This student specifically states: “I haven’t told my mother. So please don’t tell my mom yet. I told you first because I feel like I can trust you.” The counselor responded three days later on February 22 that she had to “legally” call the student by “the name that is on your birth certificate.” However, the counselor does not reference communicating with the student’s family and appears amenable to not telling the student’s mother.

PDE also received another email exchange that started on October 13, 2021. Another high school counselor discussed a student’s mother telling the counselor that her daughter is being bullied by an individual student. On October 14 in this email exchange, a teacher explained that she asked this student about the bullying situation. The student told the teacher that she identifies as LGBT, and the bullying is from the student’s ex-girlfriend’s new girlfriend. The teacher then added: “She doesn’t want us to tell her mom that she is LGBT. She said she is planning to tell her mom eventually.” The counselor responded: “Thank you so much for this information.” The counselor and teacher made no reference of communicating why the bullying occurred to the student’s mother.

Another email exchange PDE received is dated June 1-2, 2022. The email exchange revealed a partnership between Jackson Public Schools and the Fund II Foundation to send students to a summer camp. The Fund II Foundation’s website claims that the organization was created for the purpose of “making grants to public charities that improve the daily lives and long term potential of those in Black and Brown communities.” The summer camp is referred to as a “Restoration Retreat.”

The students who can participate in this summer camp are restricted to specific groups. The camp is for students who are 14 to 17 years old who “identify as members of underrepresented and/or under served communities, especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer).”

A representative of the school district explained in an email dated June 2, 2022, that he had “been tasked to provide 8 JPS male students ages 14- 17 Students to participate in the Fund II Foundation on 26 June-1 July at Piney Woods and two Chaperones.” He then discussed potential students for the summer camp.

The website for the “Restoration Retreat” states that students partake in “rituals” and “empowerment.” The camp has workshops for students including one that “guides youth through understanding personality nuances and appreciating diversity” and another that “invites youth to embrace the rhythms of African dance, celebrating a rich heritage while promoting physical wellness.”

The district provided PDE with email exchanges between the district’s superintendent and representatives of the Human Rights Campaign. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an organization known for targeting children with LGBTQ content, events and resources as well as opportunities for activism. The first email exchange occurred on April 9, 2021. One HRC representative was the organization’s state director for Mississippi. He wanted to meet with the superintendent about legislation in “Mississippi and around the country targeting transgender students.” The superintendent then agreed to a Zoom meeting with the HRC.

The second email exchange started on April 28, 2021, and extended through May 4, 2021. The HRC’s Mississippi state director thanked the district’s superintendent for meeting and provided him with the organization’s “Welcoming Schools” program to implement LGBTQ ideology into the curriculum taught to students. In another email in the exchange, the superintendent explained about the HRC:

They reached out to introduce themselves, to offer their support of our district in general, and to specifically offer support/guidance in understanding the needs of our scholars (especially those identifying as members of the LGBTQ community). They mentioned concerns around the recent legislation focused on transgender scholars in sports, but didn’t have a specific ask. I think they’re trying to understand the landscape and determine our district commitment to serving and supporting all children.

In one email dated August 23, 2022, a district employee who is now the principal of Jim Hill High School discussed “opportunities with a partnership with MS Votes.” He added: “Please share with the SGA and identify students to apply.” He added that “civic education is among the most important.” MS Votes is an explicitly political organization that claims to be “led by young people invested in the progression of Mississippi.” The organization promotes LGBTQ activism on X. One post dated June 14, 2024, states: “Christine Jorgensen was an actress and transexual activists. As a trans woman, she was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery.”

One email that PDE received was dated March 9, 2021. The email exchange is an English teacher and the principal of Whitten Middle School discussing a summer coding class limited to “female-identifying and non-binary individuals ages 13-18.” The teacher asked the principal if she “could forward this along to staff.” The principal responded: “Please work with [redacted] so that we can get some female students to apply!”

The district provided PDE with several emails appearing to show staff participating in training on LGBTQ issues. In one email dated May 23, 2022, staff appeared to participate in a “Human Rights Issues and Advocacy in MS” workshop that was available to members of the Mississippi Counseling Association. This webinar included topics such as “the needs of LGBTQ youth and the mental health needs of children in K-12 settings along with recommendations for advocacy.”

On November 8, 2021, the principal of Murrah High School explained that the administration met with the Student Advisory Council (SAC). Students in the SAC wanted to teach staff about LGBTQ issues. The principal stated:

The students will be kicking off several schoolwide initiatives over the next few weeks to promote a positive and inclusive schoolwide culture. The students expressed a concern with the need for understanding and sensitivity to the LGBTQ community within the school. They have requested an opportunity to enlighten the staff and students on this topic. If any knowledgeable teacher is willing to help the student team create and prepare their presentation, please let me know and I will connect you with the students.

In an email dated October 12, 2022, a teacher appeared to have reached out to a student to create a support group using GLSEN as a resource. GLSEN is an organization also known for targeting young children with LGBTQ and transgender issues. This teacher said: “I explained my daughter’s dear dear best friend who ‘died’ too soon.” The teacher then explained that this student was “trusting” the teacher more. The teacher then discussed holding a “moment of silence” and possibly “more than one moment.” The principal of Callaway High School then asked the teacher to “refrain from organizing the support group as explained in your email below.”