According to Law Library – American Law and Legal Information - Authority of Parents: “Parents are entitled to the custody of their children. They are free to make all decisions relating to the welfare of their child as they see fit, short of violating laws that protect children from abuse and neglect.”
In other words, parents are responsible for their children until their children are 18 years old. Although this seems an obvious statement, it has become lost in our society, especially in relation to education.
At the March 7, 2022 Grand Haven Area Public School board meeting, approximately ten brave high school students spoke to the school board about book banning. They were under the impression that there is a group of parents working to ban a list of around 300 books. If you have been following this website, you will know that there is a list of around 300 books parents are concerned about that are available to children through the GHAPS school libraries. Parents want these books to be reviewed and possibly rated. If a given book contains age-inappropriate content, we seek to require parental permission prior to children accessing the book.
Unfortunately, not one student who spoke accurately portrayed the concerns of parents regarding these books. Most of these students were part of the group Calling All Colors and had a copy of the list of books, but not one student seemed to have read the original article about the books. When questioned, the students even said they weren’t sure where the list came from. Here is the link to the list along with the original article.
For your reference, here are two more articles which discuss these books.
In addition to the students who spoke, a representative from the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance (LEDA), Gloria Lara, and three representatives from the Momentum Center, Elliot Stepanian, Barbara Lee VanHorssen and Wes McGee - spoke to the school board in support of DEI initiatives, antiracism, and in opposition to parents who were concerned about books. What’s more, Walter A. Davis PhD, a retired Ohio State University Professor who spent his entire career in academia focusing on literature and philosophy spoke before the board. He said, “They are not children, they are young adults. They are making choices for themselves. They are liberating themselves from the ignorance and prejudices of their parents.” What’s ironic, is that the concerned parents never saw this as an “us versus them” issue. Parents are simply concerned about what their children are learning in school.
In addition to his statement about children liberating themselves from the ignorance of their parents, Mr. Davis said, “Mary Jane, we’ve got your back.” This is very interesting because the GHAPS Director of Instructional Services, Mary Jane Evink has connections with each of the groups that spoke to the board in opposition to parents. She volunteers at the Momentum Center, and appeared with Calling All Colors leader Hailey Barton, on a Critical Race Theory Town Hall meeting sponsored by the LEDA organization. I wonder if Mary Jane Evink had anything to do with all of the people who showed up to speak at the March 7, 2022 school board meeting? If so, it seems highly inappropriate for the district Director of Informational Services to organize students, staff, and local organizations against parents.
I’m proud of the students who took the opportunity to speak, but it needs to be acknowledged that it is ultimately the parents who have the legal right and responsibility to make decisions for their children. According to Michigan Law 380.10 “It is the natural, fundamental right of parents and legal guardians to determine and direct the care, teaching, and education of their children”, and according to information from the Law Library referenced above, “parents are free to make all decisions relating to the welfare of their child as they see fit”. The Director of Informational Services for the school district should recognize this fact. Is her goal to educate children or to cultivate an activist mindset?
Overall, I found the entire meeting quite sad. I have this nagging feeling that the children were lied to by school teachers and leaders they obviously trust. They were brave to speak in front of a crowded room of people, but they were not well informed. Unfortunately, these children have been taught to be activists, and were used in this capacity. Although on the road to adulthood and on the verge independence, they are still children cared for by their parents. Even though it is good to consider the opinions of children who are affected by decisions, the decisions are the responsibility of adults.