Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s advocacy for, and defense of, his “parental rights” bill is shallow, porous and anemic. Dunleavy boasts how he was a teacher, principal and superintendent. So he, of all people, should know that in almost every public school, there are students who come to school each day from severely dysfunctional homes — kids who are not properly fed, kids who are being physically, emotionally and even sexually abused and, of probably greatest concern to the political far right, kids who are questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity and fear their parents’ wrath.
The only source of refuge or help for these kids is a compassionate and sympathetic teacher or counselor in whom they can confide and who will provide them with information and support. Now, such teachers are being forced to “out” these kids and report these and other information-sharing encounters to the parents, lest they be terminated or, worse, named in a civil lawsuit against their school by the parents, as some legislators are pushing. This bill will have a chilling effect, and teachers are going to clam up out of fear — and these poor kids are going to have nowhere to turn.
I know people who are what they are today because of such caring and courageous teachers more than 50 years ago. Dunleavy is either clueless or heartless, but either way, he is unfit to lead this state.
— William M. Cox, MD
Anchorage
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