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Parents urge broader use of inclusive children’s book and seek clarity on Putnam Heights seats
Summary
During public forum, parents urged the Eau Claire Area School Board to encourage classroom use of The Rainbow Flag to support LGBTQIA+ students and questioned why 70 referendum-funded seats at Putnam Heights were reassigned to the Bridges program, saying documentation still lists those seats as available.
Emily Freeman, a parent of a district student, used the board’s public‑comment period to urge broader instructional use of the children’s book The Rainbow Flag and to warn that removing or marginalizing such materials can harm students who do not see themselves reflected in school reading. Citing PEN America’s national compilation of challenged books and district climate‑survey results, Freeman said LGBTQIA+ and nonbinary students report lower levels of safety and belonging and urged the district to move the book from shelving into lesson plans.
Freeman quoted…
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