Earlier this year, Floyd County School System officials invited a group of speakers to enter a school and ask students personal questions about their sexual preferences and whether they or their families harbored racist attitudes.
Amy Bergstrom, whose daughter attends Coosa High School in Rome, said the incident occurred in May.
“My daughter, who was then 13, called me, and said ‘I need you to know that this happened today.’ The school had brought in a group of individuals from One Community United to discuss anything ranging from the George Floyd event and police brutality to racism to LGBTQ. It took place during ELA classes for all grades from eighth until twelfth,” Bergstrom told The Georgia Star News this week.
“Children were not given the option to opt out. My daughter’s teacher stood in front of the door and didn’t let her leave. They [the speakers] put them in circles. They told them the circles were a safe space and told them to put their heads down on the desk. They asked ‘Are you queer? Are you trans? Raise your hands. It’s OK.’ They also asked the students if they had partaken in any racist events and if they had family who had partaken in any racist events. They asked them to go ahead and raise your hands. I sent an email that night, and I said that I am not happy with this.”
Floyd County Superintendent Glenn White said that, yes, members of One Community United entered a school building and asked intrusive questions.
“They were there to talk about how people can get along with each other and those kinds of things. That group did come into the school. At that point in time, they did ask some questions. They have not been back because of some questions that they did ask. That was dealt with,” White told The Star News.
“This group’s whole outreach is about how people can work together, get along with each other, love each other and that kind of stuff. But we are not going to let those people or any other people back in the building without us knowing more about those kinds of groups. It has been taken care of. It will not happen again.”
Members of One Community United did not return requests for comment Wednesday. Organizers created the group in 2015, according to its website. Group members said they are nonpartisan and seek to achieve racial reconciliation in Floyd County.
Bergstrom, though, said One Community United members could have caused long-term damage. She said she told school system officials as much this past spring
“Some kids just admitted to being gay and they’re thinking that ‘Maybe I need to go home and hang myself,’” Bergstrom said.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
