Ashland School Board hears allegations of anti-gay bullying – Superior Telegram

ASHLAND – After students, parents and a former teacher spoke out about anti-gay bullying in the district, the Ashland School Board ordered the administration to take action to combat harassment.

Rob Prater, superintendent of Ashland Schools, told WPR that the Ashland School Board asked him Monday to visit each school building to ensure the district is empowering teachers and staff to respond to inappropriate comments. The board also assigned him to consult with an outside group to analyze equity in the district. He said work will continue by the end of the week.

The move follows the resignation of Phillip Brede, who taught English to ninth-grade students.

In an Oct. 3 letter, Brede said he resigned due to apathy within the district over the anti-gay treatment he has faced over the past five years. At a meeting Monday, Brede told the board that students had transferred from his class and were mocking him for being gay, noting that he continually heard them using gay slurs such as the f-word in the hallways.

In recent years, Brede said he also felt passed over for a drama position and was forced to stop showing the film “Love, Simon” in class, which features a gay protagonist. He received a letter labeling the display as insubordination. He also told the board that a student’s mother called him a sin and said her child’s discriminatory behavior toward him was the result of Brede bringing “homosexuality” into the classroom.

Brede said he has asked numerous times for staff training and an inclusive curriculum.

“Basically, at this point, that’s still all I asked for, and that’s still all I’m asking for. To my students I have left behind, I hope that your school can support and love you, and that my suffering has not been in vain,” Brede said. “To the board and administration, your negligence is unacceptable for a public school with a history of hate.”

Prater said students were punished in cases referenced by Brede. Prater added that the district launched a Title IX investigation this fall after Brede said he was persistently discriminated against. Brede said the investigation has made no progress since he decided to resign, adding that he felt the process would have hurt him and others instead of achieving his goal of training and an inclusive curriculum.

Brede was one of about 15 teachers, parents, students and community members who spoke out against discrimination in the district. Dorian Foster-Reimer, a high school student, became emotional as they talked about the bullying and discrimination they have faced since coming out as queer in eighth grade.

“I’ve been told in recent years that I deserve to die because I’m queer. I was told that all gay people deserve to die because they are queer. I was told that gay people should be banned from school in all public spaces,” Foster-Reimer said. ‘I have had paper and balls thrown at me, but also insults against my chosen name. I’ve been called variations of the f slur several times, and even had rocks and sticks thrown at me when I wore a pride flag my freshman year because it was the first day of Pride month.

Foster-Reimer said they went to the administration, but officials did nothing.

Katie Kacvinsky, who teaches high school English, says her 13-year-old son has been bullied for years because students have hurled gay slurs at him because he was playing football. When the incidents were reported, she said high school principals spoke with members of the football team and the eighth-grade coach. She said this led to more backlash for her son.

Kacvinsky called for mandatory Title IX training for all district administration and staff. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs that receive federal funding, and Prater said there are mandatory trainings for administrators and staff.

Jake Levings, the district’s equity coordinator, read a report from his 15-year-old son Noah, who said he felt like he could be overwhelmed because he was an LGBTQ+ ally. As a former director, Levings acknowledged that it is a difficult situation that requires creating awareness of bullying and intimidation among bystanders rather than punitive measures. His partner and Noah’s mother, Janna, described the situation as a “culture of cruelty” in the Ashland School District.

“We are not asking for special treatment, we are asking for decency,” she said. “The worst part is that both colleagues and mentors see it and look the other way.”

Fr. Mark Ricker, an Episcopal priest in Bayfield, also spoke on behalf of a coalition of a dozen area faith leaders calling for repeated annual training from GSAFE, an organization that strives to create equitable schools for LGBTQ+ youth.

Prater noted that the district hosted a GSAFE training for staff three years ago, adding that the district conducts its own version for all new staff during their orientation. While many trainings should occur annually, Prater says there is a limited amount of time and resources available to deliver them. Moreover, the state does not have a special fund for professional development.

As the district moves forward, Prater added that officials will seek alternatives to punitive measures such as suspension and expulsion. He said these processes will include more follow-up with victims, as well as no-contact agreements.

“While I heard many things that our students and staff did not like to hear, I did hear a lot of support from the community to address the problem,” Prater said. “That gave me a very positive feeling.”

Brede said he is hopeful that changes will happen for students.

“I’m cautious and I hope that the people who showed up on Monday can take some responsibility,” Brede said. “So this school can be what it really should be.”

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