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Teacher urges board to expand LGBTQ+ inclusion training, cites new state requirements
Summary
A Dieringer Heights teacher urged the board to provide outside-led professional development on LGBTQ+ inclusion and said staff hostility toward LGBTQ+ students and colleagues undermines safety; he cited Washington Senate Bill 5462 and asked the district to move quickly to ensure classrooms are safe for all students.
Jake Cumberland, a teacher at Dieringer Heights Elementary, used the public comment period to call for immediate professional development and clearer inclusion practices to protect LGBTQ+ students and staff.
Cumberland recounted personal experiences of anti-LGBTQ+ language in schools and said he has observed staff debate whether students should learn about LGBTQ+ people. "I'm heartbroken that there are similar patterns happening here in our district," Cumberland said. He said some staff have worn politically hostile messages toward LGBTQ+ people and that colleagues told him they were uncomfortable using district systems to report concerns.
He asked the board for outside-led professional development on inclusion that affirms students' identities, arguing this is a safety issue and required by recent state law. "We need professional development badly… We need it led by outside experts," Cumberland said, citing Washington Senate Bill 5462 as creating an obligation to begin teaching parts of LGBTQ history.
Superintendent Paula Dawson and principals were thanked for supporting staff who raised concerns; Cumberland emphasized that the request is for practical training and classroom guidance rather than debates about beliefs. The board did not take action at the meeting; the comment was accepted for the record.
