A group of parents in a Texas school district, who oppose the lessons on critical race theory, have questioned the mental health and suicide prevention programs devised for their kids.
According to NBC News, the school communities are debating on these issues, as some parents have accused the administrators of indoctrinating the students with progressive ideas. The parents claimed that race, sexuality and gender issues are being taught to their kids under the guise of the school's mental health programs
One Texas mom questioned why the Carroll Independent School in Southlake, Texas pays a mental health counselor $90,000 to guide students and facilitate an active suicide prevention program, as if it's advertising suicide. The mother believes that the school kids are not thinking about taking their own lives because they are simply trying to get through Algebra or go to a school event on a weekend.
Following the mother's remark during the school board meeting, the Southlake Families PAC, which opposed the plan to introduce diversity lessons in school, sent an email asking the school district to leave their children's mental health issues to the parents.
Kids Need Mental Health Help from the Pros
Daily Mail reported that parents who object to the mental health programs, also called Social Emotional Learning (SEL), think that these are Trojan horses for critical race theory because the discussions with the therapist encourage the kids to talk about their sexuality or issues of social injustice. Yet some parents believe that mental health guidance serves as a vital tool for helping the students become well-adjusted adults.
The debate on mental health programs as tools for indoctrination is also happening in Indiana, where some parents have asked the school district to remove a mental health coordinator because her job is "dangerous and worthless." Carmel Clay Schools hired Stephanie Whiteside in 2019 to conduct therapy sessions. Since her hiring, 400 students have consulted with her on their personal struggles.
But a father who belongs to the activist group Unify Carmel said that this was a "deceptive indoctrination system" when parents, and not the therapist, should be involved if the kids have issues in school. The father said that the students are there to focus on their academics.
"They shouldn't be questioning their gender identity and worrying about marching and worrying about social justice," he added.
Another parenting group called Purple for Parents believes that the mental health programs are a "gateway to the LGBT agenda" while the group No Left Turn in Education said that the students are counseled to go against the values and beliefs that their parents have instilled in them.
Poll Numbers Up
A poll from the Gallup Foundation showed that 5.6 percent of young adults said they belong to the LGBTQ community. This number is up from 4.7 percent in 2017. Another survey from the Arizona Christian University showed that 39 percent of young adults under 24 years old identity as LGBTQ.
In 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing that 31 percent of children landed in the emergency hospital because of suicide. While some of these kids were impacted by the pandemic lockdowns, others made attempts because of their issues with their gender or sexuality or bullying due to their race or orientation.
However, mom Christina Edmiston does not understand why the parents' group does not want their children to have access to mental health programs. It's for this reason that she moved her 12-year-old son to another school because he was being bullied for his sexuality in the school district in Texas. Edmiston said that she worries for the kids who may need professional help for their mental health struggles.
