Portland Public Schools agreed Monday to withdraw a trespass notice that barred Allison Roberts from her children’s elementary school after she objected to LGBT-related lessons and policies. The agreement came in an order signed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
The district also agreed to withdraw a formal warning against Roberts, the mother of two district students. It will allow her to request exemptions for both children from all “LGBTQ2SIA+ curriculum and learning activities.” The district also promised to notify her if one or both children begin to experience gender dysphoria or identify as a member of the opposite sex.
Roberts sued the district, Oregon’s largest, and two administrators two months ago. Her complaint said Meriwether Lewis Elementary School displayed an Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag and assigned her 11-year-old child an “identity flower” activity asking students to identify and publicly discuss their gender. The complaint said the school did not first notify parents or give them a chance to opt their children out.
School officials had accused Roberts of “harmful, unlawful and/or disruptive behavior” and said she had violated the district’s harassment policy after she distributed a letter to other parents. The federal court order says the district acknowledged her First Amendment right to peacefully distribute literature on a public sidewalk and criticize district officials and policies. The district also agreed to review its harassment policy for First Amendment compliance.
The case is not over. The agreement invites Roberts to provide written demands for policy changes within seven days, and the parties are scheduled to appear in court Dec. 1. For families across the country, the case shows the high stakes when public schools press gender ideology on children while limiting parents’ speech and access to information about their own children.
