Youngkin’s parental tip line finds hundreds of emails bemoaning equity, ‘leftist’ agenda

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s defunct parental tip line included hundreds of complaints over pandemic precautions, classroom curricula, a push for equity and academic standards.

Roughly 350 emails were released by the Youngkin administration this week to settle a lawsuit. Dozens of media outlets had sued after the governor refused to release parents’ submissions amid a request through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

The tip line ended in September.

One parent, whose name was redacted, complained about a local school board having a “secret leftist” agenda that promoted “critical race theory” and brainwashed students.

“As a parent, I have the right to validate [through the lesson plans] that [my child] is NOT being taught divisive concepts [or in Biology not being taught divisive gender-bending LGBT-campaigns with overly sexualized lesson content],” the parent wrote.

One high school student in Riner, Virginia, reported his English teacher for teaching “sexist” concepts in the epic poem “Beowulf.”

“All my teacher wants to talk about is how the book is sexist because it portrays the warriors as men and not women. I believe my teacher is in violation of Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order, which prohibits the teaching of ’divisive topics,’” the student wrote in a Jan. 30 tip.

More than 40 emails were sent by Richmond’s Kandise Lucas, who advocated for better access for special needs students. She accused Virginia school systems of civil rights violations against students with disabilities, those who speak English as a second language, and students of color.

Unlike other emails that complained about an equity agenda, Ms. Lucas called for more inclusion and diversity training.

“I decided to use that hotline for the purpose of getting our voices out,” Ms. Lucas told TV’s WUSA9. “When we hear the governor say that every parent’s rights matter, they don’t; not every parent’s rights matter.”

The emails released were a sample of those received by the administration since the tip line was set up earlier this year.

Mr. Youngkin made education a central issue in his 2021 campaign, particularly fighting against schools teaching “divisive” concepts such as critical race theory.

In his first executive order, the governor banned such teachings along with other “divisive topics,” making good on his campaign pledge.

Several Virginia school districts have asserted that critical race theory was not taught as part of their curricula.