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Parents and residents raise DEI and library-content concerns at Forest Hills board meeting
Summary
Multiple speakers during public comment urged the board to restrict DEI programming and called for removal or review of books they described as age-inappropriate; several parents requested stronger enforcement of the district's cultural blueprint and clearer library vetting procedures.
Several parents and residents used the public-comment period at the Forest Hills Board of Education meeting to press the board on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and to object to library and classroom materials they described as inappropriate for middle-school students.
"I'm here because I've seen firsthand what happens when DEI and woke agendas infiltrate our schools," Olivia Krolchak told the board, later saying she would file a federal complaint if she believes the district violates federal directives. Anne Salcedo and Dan Salcedo criticized teaching materials and library content they said contradicted the district’s cultural blueprint and promoted "racially divisive" material.
Emily Roth, a parent at 2051 Forest Crest, urged the district to join other Ohio districts in litigation related to voucher growth and urged the board to fully implement the Fair School Funding plan. She also criticized the process surrounding a recent treasurer’s resignation, calling for evidence-based employee evaluations.
Several speakers named specific titles and classroom incidents. Kevin Mishak objected to the book Me, Earl and the Dying Girl being available at the middle school, saying the title contains frequent profanities and explicit language he judged inappropriate for seventh- and eighth-graders. Dave Lobach described an instance in which a Turpin teacher read aloud a passage from The Perks of Being a Wallflower and said a student left feeling "embarrassed, unsafe, and felt disrespected," asking the board what action had been taken.
Other public-commenters urged greater transparency in hiring and contract processes. Jeff Nye urged the board to be "more transparent than it has in the past" about the searches for a board member and a treasurer, including criteria, applicants, and interview progress.
Why it matters: Speakers linked library and classroom-content concerns to the board’s stated cultural blueprint and to federal and state directives about DEI programming. Board members listened and acknowledged the concerns; board policy PO 0169.1 governing public comment was read at the start of the period.
Board members did not announce immediate policy changes during public comment. Several members said they would bring comments back for staff review and reiterated ongoing policy-review work under NEOLA updates.
