Mason parents demand school board, superintendent immediately repeal policy on controversial topics

UPDATE: This story has been updated with a statement by Mason Public Schools administrators. 

MASON — Parents and residents on Monday spoke in favor of repealing a school board policy that led an educator to resign last week from Mason Public Schools.

Following Katelyne Thomas' official Feb. 26 resignation, parents spoke during a Mason  school board meeting in support of Thomas, calling for repeal of board policy 2240, which they said is applied loosely and has been used to reprimand teachers. 

Thomas taught at North Aurelius Elementary School.

Advocacy consultant and Mason resident Rhiannon Klein sent an open letter to the school board signed by over 20 parents who are fighting for the board policy to be repealed immediately. The policy, the letter states in part, prevents teachers from teaching or discussing diversity in their classrooms.

Mason Public Schools administration said in a statement Tuesday that adjustments can be made to the policy given a number of current events that have transpired since its 2017 adoption. They confirmed that Mason's teacher's union, the Mason District of the Michigan Education Association, is working with administration on the policy.

A request for comment from the MDMEA is pending. 

The board of education would need to approve adjustments to the policy at least twice before a new one is adopted, administrators said. No timeline was given on when the process would start. 

"It is important to note that no official staff disciplinary action or reprimands have taken place regarding policy 2240 as has been suggested," administration said Tuesday.

In their letter, the group of parents also demanded an apology from administrators, the school board and/ or Director of Special Education Krista Voss, who said "diversity and inclusion education is controversial and/or seemingly political." Either an apology or immediate resignation was requested from the mentioned employees. 

The demands follow a meeting Voss had with Thomas and North Aurelius Principal Michael Prelesnik. It was requested to discuss "the chain of command" regarding introduction of new curriculum. 

"While in this meeting," Thomas told Lansing State Journal last month in an email, "it was stated that 'controversial topics are anything political in nature. This would include things like diversity, reproductive nature, sex ed, COVID, the pandemic.'"

Last week, Thomas resigned, citing pushback to her efforts to infuse more Black history and Black Lives Matter lessons in her classroom.

In emails she shared with the Lansing State Journal, the former special education teacher asked for the district's support to engage students and families in a Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action from Feb. 1 to 5. Her initial email was sent on Jan. 16 and prompted a string of replies from Superintendent Ronald Drzewicki and Voss.

Drzewicki has denied claims that Thomas was prevented from teaching Black History Month lessons. 

He began the board meeting by stating Thomas' proposal to modify the curriculum was not accepted due to time constraints on reviewing the materials. Reviews are done, he said, to ensure the material is accurate and age appropriate. 

"However, Mason Public Schools provided all K-12 staff with a variety of resources to use in class during Black History Month," he continued. "Many of which were recommended by Black Lives Matter. Teachers are encouraged to participate in building-wide Black History Month events."

Executive Director of Curriculum Matthew Stuard sent MPS staff an email on Feb. 1 encouraging teachers to celebrate Black History Month by either enhancing or supplementing daily instruction.

Included in the email, provided to the Lansing Journal on March 2, were websites to use as starting points, including a WeAreTeachers.com page that encouraged educators to teach students about Black Lives Matter.

"I would encourage you to review the 'Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families,' from the Center for Racial Justice in Education," Stuard's email concluded. "This guide has a plethora of articles and resources that may be useful."

A request for further comment is pending with the board of education. 

The parents' letter continued with a request for the district to immediately remove all diversity committee co-chairs because the current holders of those positions are administrators. Hopes were for teachers who are "ready to lead on a volunteer basis" to head the committee. Drzewicki said the committee has held public meetings, monthly, since its creation on Dec. 10, 2018.

He acknowledged work needs to be done in Mason schools and sought for teachers and parents to attend the meetings.

Among the committee's efforts was Diversity Consultant Dr. Karlin Tichenor, who was hired August 2020 to fill the role. Parents requested a "publicly accessible document" that outlines how he is being used in the district, and for him to be utilized in all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the district, including ones mentioned in the letter. 

Tichenor has consulted with Lansing School District on school culture and was an adjunct professor at Michigan State University and Siena Heights University. 

"No more neutrality: Mason Public Schools will no longer remain neutral on issues of race and diversity, as this stance is harmful to our students and families of color," the letter continued. "The district should collaborate with teachers, parents, and students in crafting a statement of support for all students and families in Mason."

The district confirmed Tuesday it received the parents' letter and administration is reviewing the requests.

Along with Thomas' exit from the district, parents who spoke at the meeting also recalled an incident in which a Black teacher was accused by a student of assault in 2019, as reported by several news outlets. Ingham County Prosecutor's Office declined to file charges against the teacher, citing a lack of evidence of criminal conduct.

The student accused him of assault after he took a "Women for Trump" pin from her. The teacher told authorities that he and the student joked around during class and he thought the incident was that type of exchange. 

"He has received death threats and he is retiring," Leslie resident Ellen Kerr-Dunsmore said. "We are losing an outstanding example, not just of a Black male teacher, but a leader who cares about his country of origin."

The teacher often traveled home to Nigeria to work on a school he started for boys in the country, Kerr-Dunsmore said. 

She urged the district to do more to push back against racism.

"Teaching about different cultures, minority groups and the human experience of our fellow Americans should never be considered a ‘controversial topic' to begin with," Mason parent Rachel Brander said. "Empathy is a skill that needs to be modeled and explicitly taught if we are to raise kind and accepting students who are ready to take on the world in the 21st century." 

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at (517) 267-1344or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.