At a brief and sparsely-attended Williamson County School Board meeting Tuesday, Franklin resident Brandi McCutchan told members of the Williamson County School System that she wants no more “white privilege” training.
McCutchan made these remarks during a public comment portion of the meeting.
McCutchan cited emails The Tennessee Star obtained and published through an open records request in which county school employees advocated for social change and social justice.
“I am here to say that we are not (for it), and we are adamantly opposed to these trainings in our schools and this white privilege train of thought. Concerned parents would like some insight on how these videos came about,” McCutchan said.
The “white privilege” training videos, as part of a Cultural Competency video series, showcased local teachers buying into the idea of “white privilege.”
“We want to make sure that this training is entirely out of our school system with no plans for implantation,” McCutchan said.
“Our parents need assurance our kids are being taught and not indoctrinated.”
Meanwhile, during the same public comment portion, Franklin resident Edina Nelson said the curriculum “made her stomach turn.”
Nelson invited members of the audience join the Facebook page WCS TN Parents Want Facts.
Kalinda Fisher, however, also a Franklin resident, defended the Cultural Competency series.
“We are fortunate to live in a place of plenty, for some. We are fortunate to live in a place of welcome. For some, we are fortunate to live in a place with quality public education for all. It is largely because of this quality public education so many of us in this very room have chosen Williamson County to be our room,” Fisher said.
“Maybe that child who today feels not so welcome in our school because they had a Swastika drawn on their locker or been the butt of an inappropriately-led lesson on slavery. If they feel welcome, if we empower them, maybe they will be the one that shows us that there’s room for everyone.”
As reported, school board members said last month that news of this curriculum caught them off guard.
The Star has talked to various parents in the county who said they fear speaking out against the “white privilege” training, due to a possible backlash against them either personally or professionally.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
[…] concept of “white privilege,” as taught recently to teachers in Hamilton and Williamson counties, ultimately creates a culture of low expectations for black children and makes those same […]