Broward County Public Schools
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Updated – August 2, 2024
Broward County Schools parent and employee, Jessica Norton, came under fire for allowing her “transgender” child to play on the girls’ high school volleyball team.
WJTV 12 News reported the incident using the term “transgender daughter” to describe Norton’s biological son. The source claimed, “Jessica Norton said her [son] was thriving at Monarch High School … before an anonymous tipster notified a Broward County school board member in November [2023] that the 16-year-old was playing on the girls [sic] varsity volleyball team in apparent violation of state law.”
WJTV 12 continued, “That November tip launched a school district investigation that has led to Norton facing the possible loss of her job as a computer information specialist at Monarch because she allowed her [son] to play. Investigators also said she didn’t, as part of her job, change the child’s gender on school records back to ‘male’ from ‘female’ as required by district policy.”
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel board members’ discussions around disciplining or terminating Norton are still ongoing. Superintendent Howard Hepburn reportedly recommended firing Norton but some board members “said termination was too harsh and that [Norton] was a scapegoat.”
After a series of delays, the board will discuss Norton’s employment again during a board meeting on July 30. In the meantime, the source said she’d been removed from her job as an information specialist last November when the district launched the investigation.
The Sun-Sentinel said, “The latest delay came after board member Torey Alston asked Hepburn … to provide information on what discipline has been imposed on other employees who violated state laws. Alston said he’d heard allegations the efforts to terminate Norton are political, and he said he wants to make a ‘data-driven decision’ consistent with similar cases. Hepburn told him there are no similar cases but agreed to review the matter further.”
Reports also said the Florida High School Athletic Association assessed Monarch High School with a $16K fine, placed the school on an 11-month probation, and barred athletes from playing on teams of the opposite gender.
Although Norton was aware of Florida’s laws against “transgender” students playing on sports teams of the opposite sex, she purposely marked her son as female on a permission slip and allowed him to play. When questioned by detectives about her decision to violate the law, WJTV 12 News said Norton responded with the following comment:
“Because she’s my child and she wanted to play.”
NBC News published an update on July 31, 2024, that said Norton was suspended for 10 days from her position with Broward County Schools.
The School Board Watchlist will continue monitoring issues in this district. Please send tips, updates, and information on Broward County Schools to [email protected].
Updated – April 19, 2024
Broward County School District (BCSD) students can access inappropriate reading materials in school libraries. A general search on the district’s library catalog returns numerous LGBT-themed books. The following novels are available at Sanders Park Elementary Magnet:
“Same-sex Parents” by Holly Duhig
“Voices for Equality” by Tamra Orr
“Genius Jolene” by Sara Cassidy
During BCSD’s April 16, 2024, school board meeting, TPUSA Faith Contributor Pastor John Amanchukwu read from “Push” by Sapphire, a book that was available to students in the district. During his speech, Pastor Amanchukwu demanded:
“When will this junk be removed? … If you’re going to review a book and keep it in your system, where kids can read it, what’s the difference? The people that we should protect the most, the children, we keep the content available for them.”
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The School Board Watchlist could not confirm if “Push” was removed from the district library. Board members did not immediately respond to Pastor Amanchukwu’s comments.
Please send tips and updates on Broward County School District to [email protected].
Thank you, Dr. Bob!
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Updated – December 26, 2023
On December 10, 2023, Fox News reported, “[Broward County Public Schools] voted unanimously to keep the Bible in school libraries, after it faced a complaint the book was too controversial…The religious book faced a complaint by local atheist activist Chaz Stevens, who said the book was ‘too sensitive or controversial for a typical classroom setting’ because of its sexual and violent content.’”
The Washington Examiner stated that the Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) policy “will apply to its 239 schools, centers, technical colleges, and 87 other charter schools. Florida has required all its school districts to create committees to allow parents to challenge books they believe are inappropriate.”
This decision came one month after BCPS board members voted 5-4 in favor of sex education in November 2023. As of publication, the curriculum is still unavailable on the district website. However, the “Reproductive Health and Disease Prevention” policy states:
“…The school board believes comprehensive sexual health education provides our youth with the information, skills and support they need to develop positive values and make healthy decisions. It is essential that a universal comprehensive sexual health curriculum that follows The National Sexuality Education Standards be in place in order to make certain every student receives the same quality information necessary to support their education and live a happy life.”
BCPS also celebrates multiple sexualities and gender identities in young students. On the BCPS “LGBTQ” page, the district claims that its “goal is to create a safer learning environment for all students, including LGBTQ youth and their families.” The page also reveals a partnership with the Genders and Sexualities Alliance (GSA)—often named Gay-Straight Alliance when listed on school club charters.
Lastly, BCPS’s Inclusive Schools Student Support Guide includes the page “Names and Pronouns for Students” which says:
“For parents who wish to have their child’s preferred pronouns used, upon receipt of written consent, staff may honor this request; however, are not required to do so. Such consent can only be obtained by the parent by visiting the school and obtaining and completing the appropriate request form.”
According to U.S. News, BCPS students are failing in reading and math proficiencies across all grades. The School Board Watchlist team will continue monitoring this district. Please send information on Broward County Public Schools to [email protected].
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Published – June 15, 2022
Sarah Leonardi, a member of the Board of Education for Broward County Schools in South Florida, led a group of children from Wilton Manors Elementary School on a field trip to Rosie’s Bar and Grill. In a post on her social media, Leonardi said:
The post displays photos of children at the popular Florida gay bar, including a photo of the group posing next to the restaurant’s sign. Leonardi did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
The establishment is well-known in the area for being an unapologetic gay bar, serving explicit-themed menu items such as “Sexy Cuban Temptress” and listing a special sauce called “Smack My Cheeks and Make ‘Em Rosy.” However, a menu posted by a community member on Leonardi’s Facebook showed students were only given family-friendly options of chicken fingers, grilled cheese, or burgers.
The district tried to further justify the gay bar excursion by saying it was necessary for the students to “learn about the types of jobs involved in operating a restaurant, how to pay for their meal, and how to leave a tip for the service they receive.” They did not comment on why a gay bar was chosen to be the environment for them to learn these skills.
Leonardi received heavy criticism, including comments from Gov. Ron Desantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw. On Twitter, Pushaw pointed out the hypocrisy of the school district which encouraged children to socialize in a sexually-perverse environment, while at the same time forcing them to remain masked. The press secretary stated in her post, “Broward School Board member takes little kids to a gay bar on a field trip, forcing them to wear masks ‘to keep them safe.’” Pushaw’s comments came after Broward County Public Schools’ initial refusal to comply with Gov. Desantis’ anti-mask mandate orders.
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Broward County Public Schools is the 6th largest school system in the U.S and the 2nd largest in Florida. The school district consists of 333 schools serving nearly 271,000 students.
