A North Carolina school is under fire after LibsofTikTok posted a video of a potentially underage student getting a lap dance from a drag performer. The incident raises serious questions about what some educators are pushing and the need for school choice.
Forsyth Technical Community College, which has two high schools on its campus, has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. At a recent Pride Fest, a drag performer was filmed doing a lap dance on a student who could have been underage. Though the event was held at a community college, underage students on campus and the community were also invited.
The encounter was posted on LibsofTikTok, a Twitter account that shares videos from other social media platforms where often adults and even educators indoctrinating impressionable young people. The event went viral, though Forsyth Technical has not issued a clarification about the age of the student nor stated whether there was any attempt to shelter teenagers and even children from explicit content.
In response, the school released this statement: “Forsyth Tech is committed to being a place of promise for our students. In order to fulfill that promise, we have clearly spelled out our mission, vision and equity statements.” According to LibsofTikTok, “the spokesperson also confirmed that this event was open to all students on campus, including high school students: ‘These students, like all college students, are open to attend any student event.’”
This has seemingly become a rather common occurrence. As the incursion of drag performers in schools and libraries grow, parents are increasingly kept out of the loop of such events until it’s too late. That’s why school choice is so important. It gives parents the option to determine what messaging their children are exposed to in the classrooms and by their teachers.
That’s what the North Carolina State Senate is doing.
On March 29, Senate Education Committee Chairs Sens. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover) and Amy Galey (R-Alamance), and Senate Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Chairwoman Sen. Lisa Barnes (R-Nash) filed legislation that would expand the school choice option for students and parents across the state. It would overhaul the program and allows parents to send their children to the schools that “best fit their educational needs.”
Senate Bill 406 – “Choose Your School, Choose Your Future,” would give families more options and reevaluate the income bracket eligibility. This would both expand the program to other higher income families via a sliding scale, while also giving lower income families access to more funding.
“Education is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, and that is why families are clamoring for school choice options,” Sen. Lee said. “While Democrats continue to try to abolish the popular Opportunity Scholarship program, Republicans in the Senate have made it a goal to continue expanding school choice.”
Sen. Galey said: “Education funds should follow the student, and we must fund students not systems. Expanding Opportunity Scholarships encourages school choice and broadens the options available to families. We must empower moms and dads to make the best decisions for their children.”
This will be an exciting option for North Carolinians, who broadly support school choice. The Jan. 2023 Civitas Poll found that the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program is supported by nearly 68% of the population.