Parent tells Red Wing board Hope Squad proposal risks retraumatizing students, alleges past bullying by backers

During public comment, Amber Plank told the board she opposed a locally proposed student-led crisis-prevention program commonly described as a "Hope Squad," saying untrained children should not be asked to perform mental-health triage and alleging community members backing the effort have previously bullied transgender students.

"An adult in a position of power who is currently bullying transgender youth over their private parts and publicly advocating to remove them from school sports is now a part of a group trying to run a crisis program for vulnerable kids," Plank said, adding that the district has a "documented history of bullying and lawsuits." She said the plan would "ask untrained children to shoulder the responsibility of mental health triage while adults in charge ... want to take a victory lap for creating a hope squad."

Plank criticized several community members she said were backing the program, saying some had previously blocked outreach and had publicly advocated removing transgender students from school sports. The board chair interrupted the speaker to note public-comment policy limits on identifying specific students or staff and to remind her of the three-minute limit; Plank continued to argue the district should not entrust crisis intervention to peer volunteers.

No named response to Plank's allegations was recorded during the meeting, and the board did not take action on the Hope Squad proposal that night. The matter remains under discussion; board members did not announce a next step in the public record during this meeting.