American Principles in Action Calls on Senate to Reject Federal Meddling in Private Education

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4247, "Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act."  Under this act, any public or private school that receives federal funding would have to obtain a state clearance certifying that they are handling issues relating to restraint and seclusion according to new federal standards.

While acknowledging that preventing harmful restraint and seclusion is noble, Andresen Blom, the Executive Director of American Principles in Action, indicated that the expansion of federal regulations is deeply misguided:

"With radicals like Kevin Jennings being given powerful positions in the Department of Education, the last thing Americans need in the clumsy hands of the federal government is our private and religious schools.  80% of Catholic parochial schools as well as a large number of independent private schools accept some form of funding from the federal government.  Americans do not pay their hard-earned money to private schools in order to subject them to burdensome and subjective regulations written by unelected federal and state bureaucrats. This is nothing less than another egregious federal power grab that intrudes on private and religious education."

American Principles in Action calls upon the Senate to reject S. 2860, sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), which is the Senate version of the same legislation.

Find out more at: www.americanprinciplesinaction.org/

Some websites and blogs are trying to make a big deal today about the fact that Obama (they claimed) brought a teleprompter with him for his visit to a 6th-grade classroom.

Other news sites have since clarified that Obama, while he did use the teleprompter in a separate event where he made some brief comments to the news media...

... did not actually use the teleprompter during his chat with the schoolkids:

Something that no one else is taking about, however, is the absence of Kevin Jennings, Obama's so-called "safe schools czar" from Obama's visit with schoolkids and subsequent press conference, and frankly - from every education event Obama has ever held.

If the Department of Education is really as proud of Jenings' appointment and record as they have claimed in the past, why are they hiding him from practically all possible public appearances?

Is it possible the administration is trying their best to do damage control, and that's why the "safe-schools czar," since his appointment, has undertaken a perfect disappearing act from the public eye?

If Kevin Jennings' notable absense troubles you please visit www.expeljennings.org

Photo credit: Getty

Expert Helen Alvare, Senior fellow in law at the Culture of Life foundation, writes about Kevin Jennings and the recent revelations about his organization GLSEN:

Every presidential administration in Washington DC does some things that appear stupid in hindsight.  It gets caught up in the moment, pandering to this or that political constituency, or reacting too precipitously to some big or newsworthy event.  In our 24-hour-news-cycle world, and especially if we’re sophisticated news consumers, we simply discount the importance of poor presidential decisions and move on, even as we might grow incrementally more cynical over time about government in general.

The banality, even inevitability of yet another misstep out of Washington, however, shouldn’t be allowed to stifle our sense of outrage when it’s warranted.  Or our energy to pick up a pen or a phone and make a call to the White House to demand the restoration of sense and dignity and even “decency” to our federal government.

The events prompting me to write these words are the series of revelations emerging about the past work of President Obama’s “safe schoolsczar.” 

... Before asking you to call or write to President Obama to express your view on this matter, several aspects of this mess should be highlighted in order to help you penetrate (and sometimes prevent) some of the most irrational or harmful enterprises launched by your government.

[You may read her full article here.]

[Her article has also been picked-up by the international news wire service Zenit.]

Please also visit our action site http://www.expeljennings.com and our related Facebook page (now approaching 2,700 members strong!).

The latest round of revelations about the sorts of things done by Kevin Jennings' organization GLSEN really do defy belief.

Because of the obscene nature of this material, decent people may wonder why we are even discussing them. The simple reason is that our children are at risk of being exposed to these things, so as conscientious parents and decent people we must expose these before their innocence is threatened.

Here is the latest update from Mass Resistance:

The infamous “fistgate” conference in 2000 -- run by Obama's “Safe Schools” czar Kevin Jennings and which included kids as young as 12 -- didn’t end with the horrible tape recordings of workshops where children were taught about homosexual sexual practices. There were also hideous handouts given to kids at that conference. (About 200 young teens and 300 adults attended the event.)

... What you are about to see is extremely disturbing.  But it's happening in your schools. And it’s a window into the mindset of Kevin Jennings and the homosexual activists targeting children. (Many of these were first discussed by Brian Camenker and Scott Whiteman in 2000 in media interviews, and were also described by the "veteran teacher" in the Massachusetts News article in 2000.) Now that people across the country are finally paying more attention, we're publishing them. They are truly beyond belief.

You may view the materials here (WARNING: The pages linked to are very disturbing.)

If you think this sort of thing is completely innappropriate, and that parents deserve answers from Keving Jennings and his organization GLSEN, please visit our action page and join our dedicated Facebook group (now with over 2,400 members!). And help us spread the word.

You'll find the latest on Obama's so-called "Safe Schools Czar" Kevin Jennings below, taken from across the web.

Please don't forget to visit http://www.ExpelJennings.com to contact your Senator, and join our Facebook group (now with over 1,700 members!).

Americans are passionate about preserving the innocence of their kids, and they will not quietly stand by when some try to harm them. Thank you for taking a stand on this most fundamental of issues.

And now the update....

• The Left's Corruption of Youth - Robin of Berkeley at American Thinker
• Dr. Janice Crouse says "Kevin Jennings Must Go"
• Making Schools Safe for Exploitation - Bob Weir at American Thinker
• WND reports that Teachers [were] given professional credit for 'Fistgate'
• Robert Knight writes on "How to Defend an Indefensible “Safe Schools Czar”
• The latest from BigGovernment.com on Jennings
• Charles Winecoff writes on Jennings and his chief public defender Media Matters

The pressure continues to mount against Obama's so-called "safe schools czar." This is happening in the face of continued inaction on the part of the President, and silence from Jennings himself.

Today, Rep. Steve King renewed his call for Obama to fire Jennings, as reported by The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:

The conservative lawmaker penned a letter to Obama to express his disappointment that the administration did not respond to his first letter in October. The previous letternwas co-signed by 52 other GOP lawmakers and called for Jennings' ouster.

King also refers to a resolution introduced by a Republican congressman pushing for the czar's resignation. [APP blogged that story here.]

"I am disappointed that concerned Members of Congress have been forced to resort to legislative action as a result of your unwillingness to act on this important matter," King wrote.

Jordan Fabian has a copy of Rep. King's full letter here.

This morning, Jim Hoft at BigGovernment.com published the text and signatures of our APIA coalition letter demanding that the Senate H.E.L.P. Committee fire Jennings.

Also, today MassResistance.org has published claims that Jennings is the original author of the "Heterosexism Questionnaire" which has been "used all over the country since the mid-1990's."

If all of these allegations against Jennings are false, why has he refused to deny any of them?

Today our sister organization American Principles in Action delivered this letter to the offices of Senators on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

This committee has oversight over the Department of Education which employs Kevin Jennings. The coalition letter we delivered to them was signed by eleven other organizations.

You are welcome to learn more about Kevin Jennings at http://www.expeljennings.org/

Also, our "Expel Kevin Jennings" Facebook group has over 1,200 members!

Maxim Lott at Fox News picks up on some of the most recent controversies surrounding Obama's so-called "safe schools czar" Kevin Jennings:

President Obama's "Safe Schools Czar," already a target of social conservatives for his past drug abuse and what they say is his promotion of homosexuality in schools, is under fresh attack after it was revealed that the pro-gay group he formerly headed recommends books his critics say are pornographic.

The group under fire is the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which Kevin Jennings, now the assistant deputy secretary for safe and drug-free schools in the Department of Education, founded and ran from 1990 to 2008.

GLSEN says it works to create a welcoming atmosphere for homosexual students in schools, and that effort includes recommending books for students of all ages.

But critics say many of the books, particularly some that are targeted for children between Grades 7 to 12, are inappropriately explicit. A full list is available at the blog Gateway Pundit, which has published dozens of controversial passages from the books.

You can find APP's reporting on Kevin Jennings at this tag.

Our "Expel Kevin Jennings!" Facebook group has almost 1,200 members now.

A press release from the top republican on the House Education and Labor Committee:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. John Kline (R-MN) ... today repeated his call for the Obama Administration to immediately remove Kevin Jennings from his post as the top politically appointed official responsible for keeping America’s schools safe and drug free. Media reports have surfaced in recent days bringing to light numerous examples of Jennings’ lack of judgment, including his affiliation with organizations and events that have come under fire for promoting sexual activity among children. Jennings was not confirmed to his post by the U.S. Senate, leaving his appointment solely at the discretion of Administration officials.

“It has been clear for months that Mr. Jennings demonstrates neither the judgment nor the responsibility to effectively serve in this post. He has no professional experience that qualifies him as an expert on keeping our children safe and free from drugs; indeed, news accounts have documented a track record that puts children in danger, whether it’s Mr. Jennings’ failure to report the sexual abuse of a student or his association with events that promote promiscuity among children,” said Kline. “I don’t know what more this Administration needs to see. The evidence is clear, and mounting. Kevin Jennings is the wrong individual to entrust with the safety of our schools, and he should immediately be removed from office.”

Earlier this week Rep. Michael Burgess used time on the floor of the House of Representatives to call for the administration to immediately fire Kevin Jennings.

We posted video of his speech here.

This is also, of course, our own efforts at American Principles in Action here:

http://www.expeljennings.com

Michelle Malkin: "Safe School Czar Kevin Jennings' Perverse Reading List for School Children"

Via Hot Air, which has more on this story.

Our posts on Jennings here. Take action on Jennings here.

A video from Michael Burgess:

Rep. Burgess delivers a 1-minute speech calling on the Obama Administration to immediately fire the so-called "Safe Schools" Czar Kevin Jennings, calling him "dangerous for our schoolchildren."

Tony Romm reports on the Burgess action on The Hill.

Through the efforts of the ACORN-crackers at BigGovernment.com (and BigHollywood), the Drudge Report is today highlighting their latest expose on Obama's so-called "Safe Schools Czar":

[Kevin Jennings] was the keynote speaker at the GLSEN/Boston Conference at Tufts University in 2000. High school students at the conference learned about fisting and watersports from the GLSEN activists. Jennings is seen here holding the conference program. (Via Mass Resistance)

Unfortunately for GLSEN, undercover journalists with Mass Resistance recorded these outrageous sessions at Tufts University. The audio was later leaked to a local radio station. This created such an uproar that GLSEN leaders were forced to apologize for their disgusting behavior.

Despite the controversy, Barack Obama’s Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings and his GLSEN organization did nothing to clean up their act. In fact in 2001 activists handed out “fisting kits” to the children and teachers who attended the GLSEN conference.
But that’s not all. The children who attended Kevin Jennnings’ 2005 GLSEN Conference also left with their own “Little Black Book – Queer in the 21st Century”.

You may read more at BigGovernment (warning: mature graphic content).

With these new, outrageous revelations coming to light, we are urging concerned citizens to contact their Senators and join our coalition efforts (please email "info [at] americanprinciplesproject [dot] org" to find out more).

The Washington Times, meanwhile, continues to ask tough questions:

It is curious why White House officials and Education Secretary Arne Duncan believe it's worth it politically to continue taking arrows for defending Kevin Jennings, who is Mr. Obama's controversial "safe schools czar." The evidence suggesting he is unfit to serve as a senior presidential appointee is startling and plentiful.

We are already at a point where the  amount of disturbing information about Kevin Jennings demands that those in authority pursue hearings and/or disciplinary action against him.

Kevin Jennings, Obama's so-called "Safe Schools Czar" is back in the news today.

Big Government, which recently exposed ACORN, makes the case that Kevin Jennings knew about the infamous 2000 "Fistgate" and did nothing to prevent "Fistgate II" from taking place in 2001. The sorts of things done in these GLSEN-sponsored events cannot be explained without going into graphic detail.

Meanwhile, Gateway Pundit has published a list of the inappropriate materials that GLSEN promotes to kids. Again, even more shocking revelations.

The Washington Times has summarized some of the same offensive materials discovered by Gateway Pundit.

Our sister organization American Principles in Action is attempting to gather names for a coalition letter to be sent to the members of the Senate Education Committee, demanding that Jennings be fired.

If your organization is interested in participating in this letter please contact "info [at] americanprinciplesproject [dot] org."

The Ruth Institute has published an analysis written by the respected psychologist Tracye Hansen, Ph.D. about the decision of the Alameda Unified School Board to adopt a new curriculum for K-12 that would "promote acceptance and normalization of homosexual and transgender behaviors under the guise of anti-bullying."

As Dr. Hansen writes, "A group of concerned parents asked me to review and comment on the proposed curriculum and its impact on children. Despite the evidence of potential harm, and over the strong objections of many parents, the board adopted the proposed curriculum."

Dr. Hansen on the curriculum pushed by Kevin Jenning's group GLSEN:

The proposed curriculum will cause sexual confusion and may disrupt the sexual preference and gender identity development of some children. And it’s also completely unnecessary. Anti-harassment, teasing, and bullying curriculums can be taught without specifically identifying every circumstance in which such behaviors are unacceptable. Children should be taught that ridiculing and harassing others for any reason is cruel and unkind and will be swiftly and appropriately punished. Schools can teach a simple message of zero tolerance toward such behaviors without harming children whose sexual preferences and gender identities are still developing.

You can read the entirety of Dr. Hansen's professional opinion here.

Dr. Hansen's research agrees with what the American Principles Project has discovered and is attempting to make parents aware of through our Preserve Innocence project.

The second installment of our Preserve Innocence project is now online. It focus on the activity of Kevin Jennings and the efforts of his organization GLSEN.

Here is the executive summary (the entire report can be found here):

The October 2009 Innocence Report focuses on the use of Safe Schools programs to achieve certain non-heterosexual (i.e., lesbian, bi-sexual, gay and trans-sexual) social and political agenda.  Kevin Jennings --the founder of The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and presently the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at the U.S. Department of Education-- pioneered that tactic in Massachusetts the 1990s.  Now, several school districts have implemented or are in the process of testing Safe-School programs based on that model.  In addition, several other advocacy groups have developed similar programs.

The GLSEN model suffers from several defects.  It is deceptive in that its dominant purpose is not school safety but to propagate acceptance and affirmative support for LBGT lifestyles.  It often denigrates the dignity of students by asking them to reveal deeply personal experiences or views.  And it interferes with the associative rights of parents to direct the spiritual and values formation of their children; it raises concepts to children that go to the heart of the family and that include fundamental religious views, and it does this far before parents could reasonably be expected to have introduced such concepts to their children.

GLSEN has been highly effective in propagating its views.  In varying degrees, it has garnered the support or acknowledgement of much of the relevant professional elite.  Professional teachers, school administrator and counseling organizations have endorsed one or more GLSEN programs or initiatives.  It has laid an imposing infrastructure for its future and continuing activities --an infrastructure that has all the more elite heft with its founder now in a senior position at the U.S. Department of Education.

Please help us spread the word about this important project to preserve the innocence of our kids in school, as well as the rights of their parents.

Ben Anderson recently sent a letter to his congressman (Eric Massa - D, NY29) about Kevin Jennings using our APIA "Expel Jennings" action site.

Here is the letter Mr. Anderson received back from his representative - I've number the paragraphs for clarity:

1) Thank you for contacting me to express your concern with the appointment of Kevin Jennings to the position of Deputy Secretary for the office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. Mr. Jennings' role is to ensure that all students in America can get an education free from bullying, and I stand by this position and the actions needed to support this goal, including the input and guidance of local school boards.

2) I do not condone the mistakes that Mr. Jennings made when he was a teenager. That being said, I do believe that past mistakes should not disqualify one from a position of power-in fact, I can name many prominent public and private figures that have either tried or struggled with drugs and alcohol and gone onto significant and dignified careers of public service.

3) Additionally, for gay and lesbian students, I feel they are entitled to the same basic human right of pursuing an education, free from harassment or bullying in a classroom environment.

4) I will closely monitor the job Mr. Jennings is doing and I will urge his removal if he is behaving irresponsibly.

Sincerely,

Eric J.J. Massa

I have some responses to make to each paragraph:

1. Jennings is charged not just with safe schools, but drug-free ones, and yet Jennings has never apologized for his own admitted recreational drug use. And I disagree that Jennings is even fit to ensure that schools are safe (continue reading).
2. The issue here is not only what Jennings has done in the past, but how he has not even accounted for his past actions in the present. He has only expressed that he wished he had done things differently. Well, what things would he do differently now? Considering he has the responsibility of setting up policies for teachers, he should be able to articulate this policy to us clearly. And yet he maintains a stony silence.
3. I absolutely agree with this statement, but unfortunately the methods that Jennings has chosen to pursue this worthy aim are completely unacceptable and only result in children being taught inappropriate things that violate their innocence.
4. This is a most unsatisfying conclusion because Jennings has already proven himself to have behaved irresponsibly and we here at APP have been detailing at length the policies which he has made his legacy at GLSEN that clearly reveal his "philosophy". Jennings already has proven himself to be an unacceptable choice for his office.

It is good to see, however, that Rep. Massa will be monitoring Jennings closely. 

But what does it say when you have to "closely monitor" the individual who is himself charged with closely monitoring the schools?!

You may wish to join our Facebook group to protect kids from Kevin Jennings' plans - the group has almost 500 members now!

We encourage you to write about Kevin Jennings yourself! Please help us spread the word.

From their press release:

Earlier this month, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins received an invitation [from Education Secretary Arne Duncan] to participate in a discussion of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) scheduled to take place today.  Perkins declined the invitation and instead sent a letter which includes detailed recommendations and specific concerns about the office, its programs, and its leadership. 

[A sample from Perkin's letter:]

"Surely we can agree that all students deserve to attend 'safe schools' that are free of violence. Therefore, I urge you to reject initiatives such as the model legislation proposed under Mr. Jennings' leadership at GLSEN--namely, to create special categories of protection...We should extend protection to all students based on the nature of the victimizing conduct, rather than the characteristics of the victim.

[See the PDF of the full letter here.]

Others have discussed the support of Kevin Jennings and his organization GLSEN for the short film "It's elementary", which was produced to convince teachers why and show them how to discuss a variety of LGBT issues to children as young as kindergarten (including gay marriage and the equality of homosexual relationships to heterosexual ones).

Lori Roman writes about her first experience of this type of aggressive marketing of LGBT issues to schoolchildren:

"I first became aware of Jennings and his organization GLSEN when I ran a school board association for school board members who were proponents of parental rights and fiscal responsibility. Shortly after I founded the group, GLSEN began sending me mailings. One of the first I received was a video called “It’s Elementary”. The mailer promoted use of the video in elementary school classrooms, including kindergarten. The video was pure indoctrination to encourage children to accept and celebrate homosexuality.  Because many of my school board members were concerned about school curricula that subverted the values of parents without giving parents an opportunity to view materials, I passed along information as it came to me."

Because video is more powerful than the written word, I've found two videos promoting this program "It's elementary." Both feature Kevin Jennings, who endorsed the program this way:

"It's Elementary is the most important film dealing with LGBT issues and safe schools ever made. It took a topic that was mystifying to many people and made it real, inspiring an entire generation of educators to see how they could make a difference... No other film has had a bigger impact on LGBT issues in the schools." (source)

Here is the promotion short for "Its Elementary - Talking About Gay Issues In Schools":

And here is a short promo for  a documentary on the controversy generated by the video - remember, this is how supporters of the movement to teach about LGBT issues in schools want their activities to be perceived by the mainstream:

The American Family Associated responded to this initiative by marketing a reality-check video called "Suffer the Children, Answering the Homosexual Agenda in Public Schools":

Suffer the Children looks beyond It's Elementary's slick packaging and engagingly scripted comments which purportedly came naturally "out of the mouths of babes," in order to highlight the film's subtle indoctrination of the homosexual lobby's radical agenda. The AFA points out that, although It's Elementary portrays itself as a video that merely teaches children to "respect" differences, it depicts adults, especially Christians, as the wellspring of ignorance, bigotry and homophobia. Christians are portrayed as hate-filled bigots who advocate the "torture" and death of homosexuals. The film leads children to falsely believe that any disapproval of the homosexual lifestyle is an attack on the persons themselves, and suggests that persecution and violence are the inevitable result. It tells children that there is "no right and no wrong answer" with regard to homosexuality, while clearly teaching that the "right" answer is to celebrate homosexuality as a legitimate and even desirable lifestyle. (source)

Do you want Jennings to fulfill his plan of making all public schools follow the vision of It's Elementary?

If not, please consider joining our efforts at www.expeljennings.com and on Facebook.

CNSNews.com has a very thorough list of the various reasons to oppose Kevin Jennings' vision of education, especially for schoolchildren as young as in Kindergarten!

One episode in particular bears reposting:

In a 2000 speech at a GLSEN event Iowa, Jennings argued that students as young as kindergarten should be taught to respect people “regardless of sexual orientation.”
The Washington Times has posted an audio of this speech on its Web site.
 
“Our curriculum at kindergarten, and first grade, and second grade--every grade until students have graduated should be ‘you must respect every human being regardless of sexual orientation, regardless of gender identity, regardless of race or religion or any arbitrary distinctions we make about people,” Jennings said in the 2000 speech. “If we cannot teach this very basic lesson in our schools we will be very surprised at how hard it is for these students to learn French or English or math.”
 
In a February 2000 speech, Jennings predicted at a GLSEN conference that the cause of making homosexuality acceptable would succeed in elementary school. “Homosexuality will become more acceptable to students, especially elementary ones,” he said, according to an article in The Post-Standard of Syracuse, N.Y. “We are at a new moment in our history.”

APP director Andy Blom will be on Janet Parshall's show TOMORROW at 4:30PM EST,  discussing Kevin Jennings and our Preserve Innocence project.

Listeners are welcome to join our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter.

update - please note the time change above.