Marysville LGBT+ clubs postpone start

After controversy online, proposed LGBT+ support clubs in three Marysville elementary schools had to postpone their start.

Advisors and supporters for the clubs presented at the Feb. 23 Marysville School District School Board meeting.

The three ‘Safe Place’ clubs are meant to be gatherings for students who need support and for allies of the LGBT+ community.

The initial online outcry was due to a flyer advertising multiple clubs at Cascade Elementary.

“This flyer was included in some social media and created a certain amount of community conversation about this club and how it fits into an elementary school,” said Alene Arakawa, principal of the school.

Arakawa said she received criticism and support for the club from parents.

“From what I’ve read there are people who are very opposed and there were people who said ‘this is my family and this is important to us,’” she said.

One of the biggest concerns was that the club would discuss sexual matters, however Arakawa said that is not the purpose of the club which is meant more as a support group.

The cost to the district is three club stipends, which are $1,000 each and divided between the advisors at each school.

Teachers said the club is needed as more students self-identify as part of the LGBT+ community, even in elementary school.

“Just at my school there have been three transgender students before they hit fifth grade,” said Veronica Underwood, Sunnyside Elementary teacher.

Underwood said support has to start for students when they begin to feel isolated.

“It’s too late for some of the kids at that point [middle school] who want to be heard,” said Underwood.

She told the story of one transgender person in Marysville schools who began to get depressed in fourth grade, their grades dropped and they eventually began to self harm and attempted suicide.

“We have one student that tried to commit suicide twice,” said Underwood.

Cascade school counselor Erica Tate said the club would be good to support students who are experiencing those troubles.

“Students were coming to me, asking me specifically for help and support,” she said. “What I’m hearing is that they need a space where they can like these things without others making fun of them."

Allison Johnson, a Sunnyside teacher and someone who is in a LGBT relationship, said a club like this is also helpful for her son who can talk more freely about his family which doesn’t fit the traditional model.

“I know there is talk if this is appropriate to talk about with kids, but we are real people in this community that want to feel supported,” said Johnson. “When I saw this in the school, I felt seen and supported. I felt like the Marysville School District was moving in a direction to support everybody and that was really exciting for me and my family."

Community members spoke at the meeting, both for and against the club.

Some felt the clubs were an undue influence from the schools. Local Calli Fink compared them to previous school attempts to influence children.

“Those in that building think they knew what was best for our kids,” she said.

“I do not want this social engineering in our schools,” said community member Don Fink.

Others said these students need support and that the focus on these three clubs was an unfair burden and level of scrutiny.

“We had an hour-long presentation about a club while no other club receives this level of scrutiny,” said community member Chris Davis.

“As far as I’m aware, this level of control over school clubs is unprecedented,” said Marysville graduate Austin Ha.

The Safe Place clubs were the result of months of planning from district officials.

“There was intentional planning behind this. I told principals, ‘let’s do this the right way so we make sure we’re addressing the needs of our kids,’” said Eneille Nelson, director of equity and family engagement for the Marysville School District.

School board member Connor Krebbs expressed disappointment during a Feb. 11 work study session that the board had not been informed about the clubs before the social media controversy.

“My frustration wasn’t about the club itself but, instead, the lack of knowledge on the board’s part,” he said, adding he wasn’t informed enough to immediately address parent concerns when they came weeks ago.

Board member Wade Rinehardt commented that he hoped students wouldn’t be able to attend the club without their parents' knowledge.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for any child to be part of a club that their parents aren’t aware of,” he said, adding that principle stood for any club.

School staff said it would likely not be realistic for club advisors to contact parents for every child who is part of every club.

School board president Paul Galovin said schools should support students in need.

“The reality is that there are kids that need us and they need us now and we need to meet them where they are,” he said.

He also added that the board and staff need to be better at communicating with each other and the public.

“There was a misstep in that the board had no idea it was coming,” he said.