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Public comments at Wake County board meeting split over DEI, Title IX and student safety
Summary
Dozens of speakers at the Feb. 18 Wake County Board of Education meeting urged opposite courses on diversity, equity and inclusion and district Title IX policies, with several parents and students describing safety and mental-health concerns and others urging protection of clubs and supports for vulnerable students.
Dozens of community members and students spoke during the Feb. 18 public comment period at the Wake County Board of Education meeting, offering sharply contrasting views on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the district's Title IX policies and student safety.
Student speakers and educators urged board support for career-technical student organizations and for DEI-related student clubs. Sam Circosta, a student and DECA chapter officer, thanked the board for its support of DECA, saying the organization "has provided us with countless opportunities for growth and success" and noting chapter fundraising and competition results. Student speakers including Anjali Joseph and others asked for more resources for Career and Technical Student Organizations.
Several speakers called for protections for LGBTQ and immigrant students. Harper Rossi, a Cary High School student, told the board: "In 2 weeks, Wake County schools are required to remove all programs relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes school clubs like the GSA, the Black Student Association, and the Latino Student Association." Rossi said GSAs and other student groups provide community and support.
Teachers, disability advocates and parents described harms they see from current policies and political debate and urged the board to protect vulnerable students. Christina Cole, a Wake County special-education teacher and union leader, told the board the U.S. Department of Education "plays a vital role in safeguarding our most vulnerable student populations through policy and funding, including our disabled students who receive special education services and funding guaranteed under IDEA and 504 laws." Susan Book, a parent of a middle-schooler on the autism spectrum, said the system faces a "special education crisis" and urged the board to prioritize services and protection for students with disabilities.
Other public commenters asked the board to remove or restrain what they described as an ideological focus in the classroom. Speakers including Malik Small and Becky Lou Hobbs criticized DEI and some district practices; several speakers urged the board to rescind district DEI programming and questioned the district's Title IX policies. Jessica Lewis, identifying herself as vice chair of Moms for Liberty, urged the district to "dismantle the Office of Equity Affairs" and warned of potential federal funding consequences if DEI programs remained.
Speakers raised concerns about student safety in specific incidents. Gil Pagan described reported assaults on a nonverbal autistic student and questioned district responses; he urged firings and accountability for staff involved. Several parents described individual school disciplinary disputes and requests for staff changes.
Board and staff response: During board comment and superintendent remarks, Superintendent Robert Taylor reiterated the importance of federal funding lines for programs the district relies on, and he asked board members to consider the impact of changes to federal programs on services for special education and low-income students. Board members voiced a range of views in response to public comment: some urged compliance with federal directives and protecting federal funding that supports students; others emphasized returning to "the basics" of reading and math and questioned whether DEI and SEL programming had negative effects on student focus and achievement.
Why it matters: The public comment period reflected deep community division over DEI, Title IX and how the district should balance civil-rights protections, student privacy, safety and academic priorities. Multiple speakers cited federal guidance, lawsuits and administrative actions; several speakers raised mental-health and safety concerns tied to policing of school environments, library materials and extracurricular clubs.
What the board will do next: Members asked staff and legal counsel to continue advising the board on federal guidance; the board also adopted a federal legislative priorities statement at the meeting calling for continued support for Department of Education programs that fund services for vulnerable students. The board scheduled second readings for the policies advanced on first reading and set a March 4 vote for the Wendell-area school name after corrected public outreach results are compiled.
