Kettering Parents Demand Accountability from School Board Regarding Rick Earley's Bombshell Comments to Accuracy in Media (AIM)

Concerned parents and citizens rallied together to confront the Board of Education of Kettering City Schools at their February 21, 2023, session regarding the shocking statements the Supervisor of Students Services, Rick Earley, made to conservative watchdog, Accuracy in Media (AIM).

Kettering City Schools Board of Education Meeting

Left to right:  Cary Furniss (Treasurer), Jennifer Kane, Mark Martin, Toby Henderson, Jim Ambrose, Chrissie Richards, and Mindy McCarty-Stewart (Superintendent)

In a video clip released in January, Earley was caught red-handed explaining how schools like Kettering could work around future state laws prohibiting the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT).

There's all sorts of ways around it.  You just have to be very careful how you phrase whatever you're going to say.  What are they going to know unless somebody turns you in to the state?  That's the way I look at it.  It's easier to beg for forgiveness than permission.

Rick Earley is the Supervisor of Student Services for Kettering City Schools

Earley also admitted the district accommodates gender issues without parental consent:

The only time we really have to get a parent involved is when it becomes a bathroom issue.

You can watch AIM's video of the exchange below.

Immediately following Earley's deceptive revelations, the superintendent's office rushed to his defense by alerting school staff of the issue and assuring faculty the district does not teach CRT.  School administrators claimed Earley was set up in a stunt to support AIM's advocacy for school choice.

The superintendent's office did NOT, however, inform parents of the issue. Although the district released a statement to the Dayton Daily News, most parents remained in the dark until word spread through a grassroots social media blitz instigated by irate and active community members.

The district's lack of transparency is suspect.  It implies administrators hoped to mitigate the disaster by downplaying it in the hopes as few people as possible would learn of the incident.

Many parents reached out to Kettering's Board of Education and Superintendent's office.  While the board remained mum, Mindy McCarty-Stewart's office responded to those who contacted her, though she continued to frame the fiasco as a stunt propagated by a group with an agenda.  McCarty-Stewart also doubled down on her defense of Earley, making it clear he would receive no consequences for his covert behavior.

Kettering Parents Confront the School Board & Demand Action Be Taken Against Earley

At least 100 upset parents, grandparents, and area residents packed Fairmont High School's Recital Hall to let school officials know they opposed any form of CRT or woke, Marxist ideology being taught in classrooms to indoctrinate children with left-wing propaganda.  The crowd made it crystal clear that parents are the decision-makers when it comes to ALL issues concerning their children and that bypassing their consent would not be tolerated.  Several called for Earley's resignation.

Approximately 10 community members addressed the Kettering School Board directly during the portion of the meeting dedicated to public comments.  Each speaker was allowed five minutes to share his or her thoughts.

One parent had this to say about CRT:

We aren't here to debate CRT.  It is an obviously racist and factually challenged theory that most agree has no place in our educational system.  We're here to demand transparency and accountability to ensure stray administrators and teachers do not slip CRT into the classroom.  

Many parents lauded Kettering City Schools for being one of the best districts in the area, but cautioned them to continue focusing on reading, writing, and arithmetic rather than incorporating identity politics into the curriculum.  The emphasis should always remain on teaching core subjects to create critical thinkers, not social justice warriors.

A Miamisburg school parent explained that CRT classifies individuals as victims or abusers based on the color of their skin and is a far cry from Dr. Martin Luther King's dream for people to be judged by the content of their characters.  He stated, In America people can determine their own dream and turn it into reality.  In this country there is no place for victims and oppressors.

One mom shared that she felt distrust and disappointment over Earley's crafty statements and wondered if his comments also represented the views of other board members.  She quizzed the board on the specifics of Earley's job responsibilities, since he earns a six-figure salary and parents are unaware of his actual role in the district.

Another concerned citizen reminded the board that their decisions affect the entire community and they should consider that the repercussions of those decisions will have eternal consequences.  She urged the board to avoid circumventing the majority to appease the minority, especially as it pertains to LGBTQ issues.

A former school board member from a nearby district gave an impassioned speech reminding the board of their primary roles, which include prioritizing what the parents who elected them want over their own self-serving interests.

Another parent referred to Earley as compromised and untrustworthy and stated, The only way to restore integrity to the district and build a bridge to parents is to immediately fire Rick Earley.

Each speaker who addressed the board received applause and shouts of support from a united audience  that is fighting for the next generation to receive a quality education devoid of political bias.

Kettering City School Board Provides a Statement from the District on Issues Arising from the Rick Earley Scandal

Toby Henderson, president of the Kettering Board of Education, read a statement describing the district's position regarding Rick Earley, CRT, and transgenderism.

Toby Henderson is a lawyer and the current president of the Kettering Board of Education.

You can watch the full video below, but here are a few highlights:

It is discouraging that Accuracy in Media....used out of context quotes and questionable reporting tactics to further their specific agenda.  The AIM group is using a manufactured secret sting video in an attempt to weaken, not only our Kettering City community, but public education as a whole.  

The district claims to value and maintain a trusting relationship with families and states they are transparent in all issues.  

Henderson defends Earley as being a dedicated employee of the educational system for over 40 years.  He has a track record of proven success and commitment to doing what is right.  This video misrepresents not only this employee's demonstrated values and beliefs but also the full extent of his comments during the conversation.  

Henderson is dismissive of public dissent by insinuating comments are not based on facts but on conjecture and speculation while simultaneously claiming to welcome open dialogue.  He urges parents with concerns regarding classroom content to contact Superintendent Mindy McCarty-Stewart's office or that of Dan Von Handorf's, who is in charge of the district's Department of Teaching and Learning.

When it comes to CRT, Henderson emphatically states the district does not teach a CRT class or include it in K-12 curriculum, but rather abides by the state's academic content standards and adopts curriculum through a specific process in accordance with board policy.

As far as Earley's willingness to violate potential state laws, Henderson asserts, If it was found that a staff member of the Kettering City Schools had knowingly broken the law, that individual would no longer be working for the district. 

Regarding transgender issues, Henderson states, The district follows all state and federal law that applies to transgender students, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, including the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution as those laws have been interpreted and applied by the courts that govern Ohio and the governing school district.  We are also mindful of the rules imposed by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Enforcement, and we're mindful of how the law relating to transgender students in public education has evolved in many state and federal jurisdictions outside of Ohio.

The district claims to include the student, the parent, and the school when creating a support plan to accommodate transgender students.  Students only receive these accommodations when they have consistently, persistently, and insistently expressed a different gender identity.  Henderson continues that the idea students can pretend to be a different gender on any given day is hypothetical and doesn't exist here.  

When it comes to bathroom usage, Henderson says, The law and our board's policy allows a transgender student to use a restroom of their identified gender.  

His comment was met with disgust as audience members shouted, Let them use staff bathrooms! and Give them individual bathrooms! along with Time to pull your kids out of school!

Toby Henderson addresses the public. 

Kettering Parents React to the School Board's Statements

After the board meeting concluded, the audience of concerned citizens mingled to share their thoughts.  

While several parents were thrilled that so many turned out for the meeting to exert pressure on the board to do what's right rather than what's politically correct, others were discouraged to see that community input continues to fall on deaf ears.

It just seems like our culture is falling apart, and there's no way to stop it, lamented one resident.

Despite one speaker's call to "depolarize Kettering," many audience members acknowledged that society is far past simply dealing with differences between right and left or conservative and liberal:  we are embroiled in a cultural war between good and evil, and everyone must pick a side.

Most also recognized that the Kettering City School Board is comprised of weak leaders not fit for the job.  School board members blatantly disregard the will of the majority--the people they are supposed to represent--and choose, rather, to impose the dictates of left-wing teacher's unions and organizations while hiding behind legalese to justify their actions.  

They say they don't teach CRT, but they slip it in!, said one exasperated parent.

It's true.  An Undesign the Redline exhibit was on display in January at Fairmont High School, which indirectly embodies components of CRT.  The exhibit promotes the idea that structural and systemic racism is baked into society.  This exhibit was approved by the superintendent, who provided a list of the curriculum standards it met and said it was hosted in partnership with the City of Kettering's Planning and Development and Community Development programs.  The display was also "vetted" by Dan Von Handorf, high school administration, and social studies educators.  

Parents are directed to share concerns about CRT with a superintendent who claims the district doesn't teach CRT, even though she approved an exhibit that reeks of CRT?  

Even worse, citizens were appalled that Rick Earley could make so many cagey statements and easily circumvent disciplinary action.  It was sickening to watch the board and superintendent "circle the wagons" within their own cabal.  The board claimed Earley's comments were "taken out of context," yet NEVER provided any additional context to make his intentions clear.  AIM has vowed to release the long-form video of the conversation in question, so we will see where that leads.

Kettering Parents Can Take Action

Parents are their children's first line of defense when it comes to protecting them from indoctrination within the public school system.

We aren't defenseless, but our strength is in numbers.  There are still too many parents who complain at home but are unwilling to take action.

What can you do?

• Attend board meetings regularly to connect with other parents and stay in the loop.  You can find the list of meeting dates here.  Whether you address the board or just sit in the audience to support those who do speak, your presence makes a difference.  

• Contact your state senators and representatives and push them to work on legislation that will end the insanity.  Currently, SB11 is in the works which would allow for more school choice--your tax money would follow your student with this bill.  State lawmakers are also working to ban CRT in Ohio--hold them to it! 

• Join grassroots parent groups on Facebook that will galvanize your commitment.  The "good" groups to join are typically private to keep out trolls, but networking with other concerned parents will help you get connected. These groups are prepared to launch various campaigns when necessary to bring about desired changes within the district.

• Run for school board, or at least get out and VOTE for the right candidate.  It is imperative that ineffective board members are removed and replaced by people who listen to parents and enact the will of the people over the dictates of the teachers' unions.

• Talk to your kids and ask them to alert you any time left-wing propaganda is used in the classroom, either in the form of curriculum or teacher bias.  Share the information with other parents, the school board, and the superintendent's office.

• Never cease writing the school board members to hold them accountable for their actions or lack thereof--it creates a public record.  You can find a list of the school board members and their e-mail addresses here.

• If all else fails, consider homeschooling as an option, if possible.  Kettering City Schools wants to be a "destination district."  If enough parents remove their kids from the district, it will adversely affect the system.

We are living in unprecedented times.  Basic biology about gender is disputed, young people are becoming Marxists instead of patriots, people are intentionally segregating themselves after fighting against it for decades, and anyone who loves our country is called a "nationalist."  

Don't give up.  Your kids, and America, are worth fighting for, even when it feels like an uphill battle.  We must stand in the gap and trust that God is sovereign--nothing is impossible!