Parents in Washington’s Cheney School District are speaking out after a ninth-grade English teacher introduced a gender identity lesson without clear approval from the school board. The controversy centers on Cheney High School teacher Jessie Mattingly, who taught the lesson in September during a unit on “personal identity” in a freshman English class.
Amy King, a local business owner and grandparent of a student in the class, voiced her concerns after her granddaughter described the unexpected content. “This has nothing to do with education,” King said, criticizing what she sees as an attempt to “sneak” controversial content into a class where parents would least expect it.
The syllabus provided at the beginning of the year did not mention any LGBTQ+ content, gender identity, or materials on being an “LGBTQ+ ally.” However, a newsletter uploaded later to Google Classroom included references to those topics. Parents could only access the details by clicking through the newsletter—an email notification was sent, but it did not mention the LGBTQ+ content explicitly.
According to Cheney School District Assistant Superintendent Tom Arlt, students were given a chance to opt out and complete alternative assignments. But no parent complaints had been filed as of his response to The Center Square. He confirmed the materials were considered “supplemental” under Washington’s education policies, which allow teachers discretion to select non-core content.
Critics, including Bo Begalman of Moms for Liberty, argue this discretion is being abused to bypass parental rights. Begalman and King want Policy 2020 amended to require school board approval for all materials related to gender and sexual orientation. Both say parents should not be expected to “research every reading assignment” just to protect their values.
“We’re the boss, not their servant,” Begalman said.
