My comments to MSDE regarding the proposed Comprehensive Health Framework

Let me start with what we agree on.

We all want to protect children—especially those who are vulnerable.
We want schools to be safe places where every child is treated with dignity, respect, and kindness. I share that goal completely.

Where we differ is not on compassion—but on what actually helps children and what may unintentionally harm them.

Bullying is wrong. Period.
And the solution to bullying is strong discipline policies, clear expectations, and adults who are willing to intervene. We do not need to introduce complex and controversial theories about identity to teach children a simple, timeless truth: no one deserves to be mistreated.

Schools can—and should—teach respect without redefining a child’s sense of self.

My concern is that introducing the concept of “gender identity” in health class does exactly that. It teaches children that their sex—their biological reality—may not align with who they “really” are, and that this disconnect is something they must explore or resolve. For vulnerable children—those who are anxious, autistic, gay, or have experienced trauma—this message can be confusing and destabilizing, not affirming.

One standard in the framework asks students to explain how sex assigned at birth and gender identity “may or may not differ.”
We should pause and ask: Is it healthy to tell children that their bodies may be wrong?
Is it responsible to introduce this idea while the long-term medical, psychological, and social outcomes are still being studied and debated among adults?

I want to be very clear: rejecting this framework does not come from ignorance or lack of empathy. I have read the arguments. I understand the theory. I simply do not believe it is wise or responsible to present this theory to children as settled science—especially when it suggests or encourages such serious medical interventions as puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and even surgical procedures. Such interventions are happening today in this country to both children (under 18) and young adults (18-25).  This is highly concerning to me.  Many children are being led down a path of self-loathing and self-harm due to this push to redefine their “gender identity” and I reject it fully. 

Children do not need labels to be whole.
They do not need to be assigned into new categories to be accepted.
They need reassurance that there is nothing wrong with them.

We are all individuals with unique personalities, interests, strengths, and struggles. That is a message every child can hear without confusion or harm.

Schools should be places of learning—not experimentation with ideas that reach deeply into personal identity and family values. Conversations about gender identity and sexual orientation are inherently values-driven, and families—not government institutions—should decide if, when, and how those discussions happen.

At a time when adults are still debating these issues, it is unfair to place that burden on children, and it is unfair to insist that children adopt theories of gender identity that conflict with their parents’ and family’s values.

So, I respectfully ask:
Please remove the topics of gender identity and sexual orientation from all grades, Pre-K-12. Let parents introduce those topics, when and how they believe most appropriate.

Our children deserve a fact-based health education that promotes healthy behaviors, protects vulnerable students, prevents bullying, and respects the role of parents.

That is how we protect children—by keeping schools focused on what unites us, not what divides us.