Moms for Liberty is not an organization that has appeared out of thin air; founded in 2021, with over 310 chapters in 48 states, the organization protests and advocates against school curriculum that mentions LGBT rights, race and ethnicity, critical race theory and discrimination. This year, the organization has begun to turn its attention to Wake County.
“I was aware of their activity during 2020 as they organized around anti-masking and school closures due to COVID but no direct interaction. I do not agree they are ‘investing’ in the education of children,” said Lynn Edmonds, Wake County School Board member, District 5. “They bully educators, students and staff in the LGBTQ+ community and try to distract the public from the real challenges facing public schools.”
In early October, Moms for Liberty filed a complaint to the school board against a Martin Middle School teacher for wearing a tutu during the school’s spirit week a year prior. The vice chairwoman of the organization claimed that the teacher’s behavior was, “a distraction”, and “grooming and sexualizing.”
“I’m sorry that teacher was attacked at all, especially for something that occurred a full year ago. What happened to him was manufactured outrage and completely undeserved. I am very grateful for his service as a teacher in WCPSS,” said Edmonds.
Moms for Liberty is extremely active on social media; they use Twitter (now X), as their main means of communication about their ideals and input on events. Recently, the organization has taken to social media to go after a short story that was read by a student at Athens Drive.
“My understanding is that the student was enrolled in WCPSS for a very short period of time and when she read this material and objected to it, rather than even attempt to follow policy with challenging the material or speaking with the teacher or the principal, withdrew from the district,” said Edmonds.
In September, an Athens student withdrew from the school and the entire district after reading a short story from the book, “Tomorrow Is Too Far” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The book follows a girl who inadvertently causes her brother’s death, but a part of the story alludes to sexual interaction between the main character and her cousin. That excerpt caused a whirlwind of upset on social media, drawing the attention of Moms for Liberty, who took to X and Facebook to confront the school board.
“M4L can call for book bans in WCPSS but there is a formal process and policy that must be followed. There are no plans to ban books in WCPSS (classrooms or school libraries),” said Edmonds.
Moms for Liberty does not just focus on individual events and people, they also create large pushes for book bans and curriculum changes all over the US, and Wake County is no exception. In 2023, Moms for Liberty tried to ban 20 books in the county, some being “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, “Doing It! Let’s Talk About Sex” by Hannah Whitton, and “Jesus Land” by Julia Scheeres. These books are not identical but all carry common themes of religion, race, sex and LGBT themes.
“Fortunately, I have never been involved in a formal book challenge while at Athens Drive but I have had conversations with Ms. Boshoff about having a Reconsideration Committee at the ready just in case,” said Kerri-Ann Ruthven, Athens Drive media specialist.
Moms for Liberty is intent on defending their parental rights against the government, censoring curriculum out of schools that they deem inappropriate and fighting against “woke ideology” in schools. Athens has now had their first interaction with the organization, but likely not their last.
“I trust teachers and trust they know what content is appropriate for students. I also trust teachers to work with students if they have an issue with content,” said Edmonds.
