Ashjian’s hurtful language ‘both saddening and enraging’

Regarding the decision of the board of Dailey Elementary School to eliminate Brooke Ashjian from their board for his comments about LGBT education, I believe his statement at the board meeting on Aug. 24 was poorly thought out and full of false equivalencies.

We do have a right to freedom of speech. I think there are quite a few people who do seek to silence those who might disagree with them, but Alana Franklin is doing a great job of voicing her opinion in the face of some potentially very painful attacks on her sexual orientation and the community she is a part of.

Sexual education in elementary school might be a little too early. There are some students who wouldn’t be able to handle the content of that information, not just regarding sexual orientation but anything pertaining to “privates.”

Ashjian is clearly sticking to his guns on the matter, regardless of how his actions might negatively affect the students he is charged with protecting, and that’s both saddening and enraging. While I believe elementary school is too young to discuss sexual matters on a broad scale, hurtful language that could alienate students would be far more damaging to them.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Ashjian’s hurtful language ‘both saddening and enraging’."