As members of the Poudre School District community, we have a fundamental responsibility to ensure our schools remain places where every educator, staff member, and student can thrive. Today, that responsibility demands our immediate action.

The Crisis We Face

Recent incidents targeting LGBTQ+ educators and staff have shattered the sense of safety that should define our educational community. When dedicated professionals face public harassment campaigns questioning their fitness to teach based solely on their identity, we witness more than individual attacks—we see an assault on the very values that make great schools possible.

This isn't about politics or personal beliefs. This is about protecting the talented educators who shape our children's futures and ensuring they can focus on what they do best: teaching, mentoring, and inspiring the next generation.

What's at Stake

Our Students Are Learning the Wrong Lessons Every day our students witness how adults treat one another becomes a lesson in what behavior is acceptable. When they see respected educators subjected to harassment and lies, they learn that prejudice can triumph over professionalism. This fundamentally contradicts everything we teach them about respect, dignity, and fairness.

Lives Are Literally on the Line For LGBTQ+ youth, who already face elevated risks of depression, bullying, and suicide, seeing their identities treated as inherently suspicious or dangerous sends a devastating message. Research from The Trevor Project demonstrates that supportive adults save lives: LGBTQ+ students with affirming educators are significantly less likely to attempt suicide. When we protect LGBTQ+ staff, we protect LGBTQ+ students.

Educational Excellence Suffers Harassment campaigns don't just harm individuals, they damage our entire educational system. When experienced educators consider leaving due to a hostile work environment, our students lose mentors, our schools lose institutional knowledge, and our community loses the diverse perspectives that enrich learning.

The Solution Is Clear
We call on Poudre School District leadership and the Fort Collins community to take immediate, concrete action:

• Implement Comprehensive Anti-Harassment Policies
• Establish clear, enforceable guidelines that protect all employees from discrimination and harassment
• Create transparent reporting mechanisms with swift, meaningful consequences for violations
• Ensure policies cover both workplace harassment and public campaigns that create hostile work environments
• Commit to Visible Leadership
• Issue public statements affirming the district's commitment to protecting all employees
• Implement mandatory diversity and inclusion training for all staff and board members
• Partner with community organizations to build broader support for inclusive practices
• Support Affected Staff and Students
• Provide counseling and legal resources for targeted employees
• Enhance support systems for LGBTQ+ students who may feel vulnerable
• Create safe spaces for dialogue and healing within our school communities. 

This Moment Demands Courage

History will judge us by how we respond when our neighbors face persecution. Will we stand by while fear and prejudice drive away dedicated educators? Will we allow misinformation to poison the wells of learning that our children depend on?

Or will we choose courage? Will we choose to defend the principle that every person deserves dignity, respect, and the right to work without harassment?

The choice is ours, and the time is now.

Our schools succeed when they welcome the full spectrum of human diversity and talent. Our students flourish when they see adults modeling respect, inclusion, and justice. Our community grows stronger when we reject the forces that seek to divide us.

Your Voice Matters

By signing this petition, you join a movement that transcends political divisions and focuses on our shared values: protecting those who serve our children, ensuring safe learning environments, and building the inclusive community our students deserve.

Your signature declares that harassment has no place in our schools, that every educator deserves respect, and that our children's education is too important to be undermined by prejudice and fear.

Sign today. Stand with our educators. Stand for our students. Stand for the future of public education in Poudre School District.

Together, we can ensure that our schools remain beacons of learning, respect, and hope for every member of our community.