Parent tells St Clair County Schools board he found classroom political messaging one-sided and raises bullying complaints

During the public comment portion of the St Clair County Schools board meeting on May 31, parent Jonathan Perry said he had previously discussed concerns with district administrators and used the meeting to outline three issues affecting his children.

Perry identified himself as a 2007 graduate with two daughters in the district and said his first concern was "the presence of one-sided political messaging in the classroom, particularly in an English class." He said students received an assignment that "included articles presenting only one political perspective and criticizing the conservative side of politics," and said classroom disclaimers had seemed to reinforce that perspective.

Perry's second concern was repeated bullying of his daughter over time. He said he had discussed incidents with administration in both elementary and high school and complained that parents of students involved were not consistently notified. "If my kids are bullying somebody, I want to know because I'm going to take care of it at home," he said, and he asked where the balance is "between protecting every student's education and ensuring victims of bullying feel safe and supported."

His third concern related to his younger child, whom he said had come home "repeatedly in tears after feeling belittled in front of classmates" and had been called a liar on more than one occasion. Perry said he had not named individuals publicly "but I'm more than willing to have conversation" with board members about specifics.

Board members responded by offering to meet with him after the meeting; a trustee said, "I'd like to meet with you just for a minute after meeting," and trustees invited follow-up conversations rather than public adjudication. The transcript records that Mr. Cybert was acknowledged for supporting the student during a difficult situation.

The public comment did not include a recorded formal response from administration on next steps beyond the offer to meet; Perry said he had spoken with Miss Holland and Mr. Gensel previously. Board members did not take immediate formal action at the meeting but the exchange was recorded for follow-up.

What was said in public comment is on the record; the board's next procedural step was the private meeting offer at the end of the session.