OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An attempt to include gender identity lessons in Nebraska’s public school curriculum was largely scrapped after an uproar from conservatives, including top state officials, who argued that the topics weren’t appropriate for children.
The Nebraska Department of Education announced that it had stricken most of the proposed standards in a new draft released Thursday.
The move came after state education officials faced intense criticism from many parents, school boards, state lawmakers and Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who held town hall events to blast the proposal.
Opponents flooded a meeting of the Nebraska State Board of Education, an elected board that oversees the agency.
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From Governor Ricketts Office
LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts issued a statement following news that the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) had issued a new draft of health education standards. NDE is a state agency that is independently governed by the elected members of the State Board of Education. Governor Ricketts does not appoint the board members or agency staff.
“While this new draft of the health education standards scraps many of the topics Nebraskans found objectionable, the standards still need improvement,” said Gov. Ricketts. “For example, this draft proposes to teach the concept of ‘gender identity.’ The continued presence of gender ideology in the standards leaves the door open for this material to be expanded either before these draft standards are approved or in future years when these standards are revisited.”
“Sex education and other controversial topics should be addressed at home. This responsibility should not be shouldered by teachers in schools.”
“Thank you to the thousands of Nebraskans who have given feedback so far. Your voices are being heard, and are resulting in meaningful change. I strongly urge the Nebraska Department of Education to refine these standards to remove the lingering issues. Parents, teachers, and all Nebraskans are encouraged to provide feedback on this new draft as the department continues its work.”
The second draft of the standards can be found by clicking here. Feedback on the second draft of the standards can be provided to the Nebraska Department of Education by clicking here. Contact information for the State Board of Education Members can be found by clicking here.