Public commenters press Henderson County board on religion, book policy and transgender student issues
Summary
Public commenters at the Nov. 10 Henderson County school board meeting pressed the district on religious speech by board members, book content and transgender student issues.
HENDERSON COUNTY, N.C. — A broad swath of public commenters used the Henderson County Board of Public Education’s Nov. 10 public‑comment period to press the board on religion in official meetings, objectionable book content and policies related to transgender students.
Paul Wieschelbaum, speaking for public‑school advocates, urged the board to publicly address a state funding decision he said reallocated sewer replacement money away from a project that served Edneyville Elementary and asked that legislators meet with the school board to answer questions.
A sequence of speakers debated whether board members’ official remarks had crossed a line into religious advocacy. "In the beginning, the Lord made male and female," one commenter said when urging the board to speak explicitly to students about biological sex. In contrast, a retired pastor speaking for 23 clergy said acting in an official capacity to promote one religious viewpoint is inappropriate: "When a government ... begins to promote one version of religion, it's gone too far," he said.
Several speakers explicitly cited district policy and constitutional limits. Carol Cannon, identified as a community member and advocate for inclusive public education, warned that the board’s public remarks must not "blur the line between personal faith and public duty" and said the Establishment Clause and court precedent raise legal concerns.
Several commenters also raised matters related to library and classroom materials. One speaker read a graphic excerpt from a book and said the material was "disgusting," prompting the chair to interrupt and ask the speaker to stop. That commenter urged the board to revisit the district’s book policy and to clarify procedures for public input and review.
Other commenters addressed transgender student participation in sports, with one speaker citing a statistic attributed to NCAA leadership and saying the number of transgender athletes is small. Commenters on all sides urged clearer board guidance: some asked the board to reaffirm religious neutrality in policy and practice; others asked the board to protect students’ rights and inclusion.
The board did not take immediate policy votes at the meeting; commenters asked for clearer written guidance on the scope and time limits of board member observations and for the district to reaffirm or clarify policy 3515, which the public referenced as related to religious neutrality.
