Delaware County School District includes curriculum about a cross-dressing boy in their K-3 Social-Emotional Learning reading material.
QUICK FACTS:
- A Delaware County School District has included a story called “Jacob’s New Dress” in its K-3 curriculum.
- According to The National File, the book was part of the district’s Social-Emotional Learning curriculum.
- Parents from the district told the National File that the book was read to students in at least five elementary schools.
- The book’s description reads, “Jacob loves playing dress-up, when he can be anything he wants to be. Some kids at school say he can’t wear ‘girl’ clothes, but Jacob wants to wear a dress to school,” and goes on to ask if Jacob can “convince his parents to let him wear what he wants.”
PARENTAL BACKLASH:
- One parent whose kids go to the affected school said she objected to the book being read to her child and that she didn’t care for the social value enforcement on her child.
- “I made it very clear to [my child] that we treat everyone equally, and that if a boy wants to wear a dress, that we are not to make fun of anybody,” read the email reported by The National File.
- “Others may disagree with that which is fine, however I would ask that these topics not be covered with my child in the future.”
BACKGROUND:
- Social-Emotional Learning has been an issue of contention nationwide due to its use in the teaching of Critical Race Theory.
- The Biden Administration has backed the curriculum, even going so far as to create a “Social-Emotional Learning Day” via presidential proclamation.
