Hi Friends!
First, I just want to say Thank You for taking the time to sign my petition!
A Little About Me
My name is Sarah Ashby. I grew up in Altoona, and graduated from Southeast Polk in 2010. I'm a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and have been very outspoken about the large number of student suicides and lack of mental health support within the SEP district.
In 2015, I tried working with the SEP Curriculum Director to create a Mental Health curriculum to teach within the Jr. High & High School Health courses. Unfortunately, the district decided not to move forward with my ideas.
Why This is Important
Transgender children and adolescents are TWELVE TIMES more likely to die by suicide than those who are Cisgender, and LGBTQ+ kids/teens are FOUR TIMES more likely to die by suicide.
Having a Board member who is openly trans/homophobic is extremely dangerous, because kids are observant, especially with today's social media. How are they supposed to feel safe in our district when the people in charge of creating policies aren't even held to SEP's own Code of Ethics?
It's the administration's duty to protect all students. What message are they sending their students by allowing Whitney Smith McIntosh to remain on the Board?
What You Can Do Next?
- Speak Up! We need parents, students, and staff in the SEP community to contact the Superintendent, Dirk Halupnik (Dirk.Halupnik@Southeastpolk.org). I will share an example/template email at the end of this email.
- Show Up! This Thursday, June 16th at 5:30PM, there is a School Board meeting at the District Office in Altoona. We need members of the SEP community to come and support those who are speaking at the meeting. Feel free to wear your Pride gear!
- Spread The Word! Keep sharing this petition, and talk to your friends and neighbors about this issue.
- Support Our LGBTQ+ Students! Please let any LGBTQ+ kids/teens in your life know that they are loved & respected unconditionally.
Thank you again for your support!
-Sarah
Draft Email
"Dear Superintendent Halupnik,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the SEP community, in particular members of our LGBTQ+ student population, to express my concerns regarding the homophobic and transphobic rhetoric shared on social media and in radio broadcasts by one of the board members, Whitney Smith McIntosh.
I have included evidence of these posts which clearly demonstrate that Ms. Smith McIntosh harbors negative views of members of this community. Her expression of these views is not freedom of speech but is, in fact, hate speech and an ethics violation of both local and state board policy. (I would quote the policy numbers here.)
Furthermore, in at least one (or however many there are) of her podcasts/radio talk show/social media (whichever apply) Whitney has spoken negatively about another member of the current school board and work on the board which is also a violation of board policy (Board Code of Ethics #10). The examples of both of these violations have been provided here.
I believe that schools should be a safe space for all children regardless of how they identify. I also believe that people who have chosen to represent those children have a legal duty to uphold the code of ethics of their position (at the very least) and should not be permitted to openly and repeatedly use hateful rhetoric directed towards a marginalized population who is already considered at risk for both bullying and suicide.
I ask that the Superintendent and the Board president to thoughtfully consider the information being shared here, and determine if it is really in the best interest of the SEP school district to retain a person on the board who harbors these views and repeatedly violates the SEP Code of Ethics.
Thank you for your consideration of this very serious issue."