An Ottawa parent said he had to pull his child from a school in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) for not respecting parental rights. .“It was frustrating for us parents to not see the slightest gesture of goodwill and understanding on your side,” said the parent in a Monday letter to the OCDSB’s school principal. .“You did not make any compromises, and you were hell bent on having it your way.”.The letter said the ordeal started when the child’s Grade 4 teacher did a lesson which saw students reflect on their gender and told they can decide for themselves who they like. It said the lesson talked about allyship, cisgender privilege, and activism. .The parent became aware some schools are starting to survey students about their sexual identities and present them with inappropriate, sexually explicit material in books. .The parents sent a letter to the principal asking to exempt their child from gender ideology, sexual surveys, and the like. He refused to assist them. .They asked him to point to where lessons like these are mentioned in the Ontario Grade 4 curriculum. They did not receive a response. .The parents raised their concerns with the superintendent. All of his stances were upheld, and they were told these lessons were woven into the curriculum. .The letter went on to say parents have the right to know. Parental rights are enshrined in international, Canadian, and provincial law. .The parent called the principal’s insistence on excluding him “quite astonishing.” He added this has eroded trust in him and the school he represents. .While the school sloganeers about inclusivity, he said he feels it has failed to respect the faith and values of those who disagree with him, even when the requests were moderate and represented no undue hardship. He said he has “yet to see a molecule of inclusiveness and tolerance on your end, because all I have seen so far points to the lack thereof.”.The principal refused to exempt the parent’s child from sexual identity surveys. He asked if he thought it was appropriate to know if his child was into boys or girls. .The way he has been treated left no room for equilibrium, he said, as his hands were tied and concerns unaddressed. He's heard stories about parents who left Canada and others who are contemplating it because of the education system. .The parents’ request involved lowering the bar to the bare minimum. All the principal had to do was be transparent. .They respect every one and teach their children to do the same. They are dedicated, firm pluralists who believe people with different opinions can co-exist and live in harmony in the same society. .The child has been moved to a Catholic school, where their religion is respected and parents are listened to, the parent said. .The letter concluded by saying pluralism is about respecting and defending other people’s right to hold their values and live by them. It means not abandoning their values and adopting the principal’s because he thinks his are superior. .“We did not choose to live in this country so a bureaucrat and employee of the state gets to indoctrinate our children, into degeneracy, against our will,” he said. .OCDSB trans and gender diverse student support coordinator Sara Savoia said on April 7 Jesus was a man who wore a dress and told stories to children..READ MORE: Ottawa school board gender consultant says Jesus was drag performer.“Here’s a reminder that Jesus himself was a radical activist … and a drag queen,” said Savoia. .“And also not white.”. Sara SavoiaA reminder from the OCDSB's gender consultant
