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Rep. Valdenia Winn offered a proposal to House Republicans in Kansas: If they were to override the governor鈥檚 veto of legislation installing a parental bill of rights, she would recruit parents to file lawsuits over the lack of honest history lessons in public schools.

After all, Winn said, the parental bill of rights 鈥渆ssentially鈥� gives parents the ability to sue schools over any materials they find objectionable.

On April 28, the House on fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to complete the override of Gov. Laura Kelly鈥檚 veto. would have required school boards to adopt policies guaranteeing parents the right to inspect and object to any learning materials, activates, curriculum, surveys, handouts or health records, and seek the removal of any book or magazine from a school library.

Winn, a Democrat from Kansas City, denounced the legislation as 鈥渁 ploy to capitalize on the national manipulation of some parents鈥� anxieties.鈥�

鈥淭here is this big problem if you accept this ploy that children are being brainwashed, and there are these nefarious things going on in schools,鈥� Winn said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not happening.鈥�

The bill is driven by anxiety of those who don鈥檛 want to accept the U.S. is changing, Winn said.

She said the bill coopts the language of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that the bill鈥檚 supporters couldn鈥檛 tell her why. That legislation, she said, prohibits discrimination in schools.

鈥淪o what I will do if you pass this, I will personally and collectively engage parents who may have marginalized students, or other parents who look at the curriculum in their districts,鈥� Winn said.

鈥淎nd if it does not truthfully and honestly talk about the 300 years of brutality of African American enslavement, or if it does not teach about Jim Crow and lynching and domestic terrorism, and the Ku Klux Klan. Or if it does not talk about the Japanese American concentration camps. Or the . Or the . Then those parents have the same right to sue the school district. And if that鈥檚 what you want 鈥� all the litigation 鈥� then that鈥檚 what you have in this bill.鈥�

Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican, said parents frequently have complaints with schools. Directing his comments at Winn, and misinterpreting hers, he said the assertion that 鈥渢his never occurs is patently false, period.鈥�

He read several complaints from his phone. One parent claimed a teacher lined up children based on their views of gun rights.

鈥淔rom that day forward, she gave our son near-failing grades no matter how hard he tried,鈥� Owens quoted from the unnamed parent鈥檚 complaint. 鈥淲e email the teacher: No response.鈥�

Another parent complained about being denied information by a high school teacher. Another complained about the lack of communication from various school officials.

This happens more than people realize, Owens said.

鈥淒o you want the government raising your children?鈥� Owens said. 鈥淥r is it your responsibility to raise your children?鈥�

Winn returned to the floor to address Owens鈥� comments.

鈥淲hat I said was not happening was the nefarious brainwashing,鈥� Winn said.

鈥淚 will continue to say that there is a manipulation of parental anxieties,鈥� she added. 鈥淭here is a national successful manipulation of parental anxieties. And it appears to come from the fears of change. The concern that some kids would feel badly doesn鈥檛 address the concerns of the kids that perhaps are the targets. So I say again, clearly, everyone in the world supports parental rights.鈥�

Rep. Steve Huebert, a Republican from Valley Falls, argued the parental bill of rights isn鈥檛 a ploy. The issue is coming up, he said, because of 鈥渞eal things going on in this country that need to be dealt with.鈥�

鈥淛ust yesterday, and we talked about it in our caucus, President Biden in talking to teacher unions just said 鈥� and I鈥檓 not making this up, you can 鈥� that when those kids are in your classroom, they鈥檙e your kids, not the parents鈥�. You can say, 鈥榃ell, that鈥檚 a misinterpretation of what he鈥檚 saying.鈥� But there鈥檚 a whole lot out there that says that鈥檚 real. That鈥檚 the belief. And they just as soon not.鈥�

Biden said students are 鈥渁ll our children,鈥� and 鈥渢hey鈥檙e like yours when they鈥檙e in the classroom鈥� during remarks last month for an event recognizing the 2022 national and state teachers of the year. Republicans across the country have omitted the 鈥渓ike鈥� when referencing Biden鈥檚 quote.

Huebert said he was shocked the governor vetoed the parental bill of rights, especially since she in response to a Wyandotte County ordinance.

鈥淚 appreciate she鈥檚 got some high-paid consultants,鈥� Huebert said. 鈥淪he needs to get some new ones.鈥�

Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, said lawmakers for years have heard from educators who say they welcome parental engagement and that they want more.

鈥淏ut as the parents started getting involved and getting engaged, it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃hoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute, maybe we didn鈥檛 mean it quite that much,鈥欌�� Landwehr said.

She objected to school libraries providing access to 鈥淕ender Queer,鈥� a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe about Kobabe鈥檚 path to gender-identity as nonbinary and queer. The book has been targeted through written by authors who are people of color, LGBTQ+, Black and Indigenous, and feature characters from marginalized groups.

鈥淪ome parents may approve of that book, and that鈥檚 their right,鈥� Landwehr said. 鈥淏ut some parents may not want their kids to have access to that book. And that is also their right.鈥�

Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, also appeared to reference 鈥淕ender Queer鈥� when he complained about 鈥渉ighly charged explicit sexual comics in our library.鈥� Other gripes on his list included teachers flying Black Lives Matter flags and asking students if they are vaccinated.

Rep. Chuck Schmidt, a Wichita Democrat, said no parent testified in favor of the bill. Only large organizations, including some from out of state, that regularly criticize public schools supported the bill, and 鈥渢hat ought to tell you something,鈥� he said.

But there is a bigger problem to consider, he said.

鈥淚鈥檝e talked to a lot of teachers,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淭hey see this as an attack on them when their morale is already at an all time low.鈥�

Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican and chairwoman of the K-12 Education Budget Committee that produced the bill, led a crusade against , later rebranded as 鈥渃ritical pedagogy,鈥� in hearings last fall and early in this legislative session. In a hearing in October, Williams said legislators should consider the mental health of of learning about racial oppression. A two-hour hearing in January provided a platform for two white parents who objected to themes of LGBTQ tolerance, implicit bias, white privilege and white fragility.

As the House concluded its debate last week, Williams said the interest in parental rights is 鈥渘ot because we fear history, but because we want to bring parents, teachers and students together.鈥�

鈥淚 do love a respectful, robust debate on issues that matter to all of us,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no need to vilify our discussion or distract from the facts. It was said that this is attack on teachers. And they have a low morale at this time. I would challenge each one of you to go visit with teachers and find out why their morale is low at this time. There are reasons, and I鈥檒l tell you what 鈥� it has nothing to do with the parents鈥� bill of rights or the Legislature. It has to do with the culture and the climate that exists in the schools.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: [email protected]. Follow Kansas Reflector on and .

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