Fairburn Elementary School in Westwood, Los Angeles, is facing scrutiny following the appointment of Skye Tooley as a new 5th grade teacher. Tooley, who identifies as an "autistic trans demiboy non-binary" and is known for their outspoken inflammatory views, has sparked concerns about the potential impact on students.
Parents are voicing their alarm after discovering Tooley's social media posts, which include inflammatory statements and promises to infuse their controversial perspectives into the classroom.
One parent wrote, "I am horrified to learn that Skye Tooley has been hired as a new 5th grade teacher." In addition, they "promises to teach 10 and 11-year-olds to 'unlearn Zionist propaganda' that says Hamas is a 'terrorist organization.'" The parents said Tooley's call for a "Free Palestine from the river to the sea" is not just politically charged; rather, it's a genocidal slogan that has no place in schools.
On July 4, Tooley posted infographics on Instagram, including one that said, "Stop the genocide," and captioned the post "F*ck the 4th." On May 6, they shared a post that said, "Escalate for Gaza!"
"I couldn't believe what I saw," one parent recounted. Social media posts by teacher, Mx. Skye Tooley, involved children drawing slogans such as "From the River to the Sea, Palestine must be free,"
Read More: https://t.co/ZLfRw4PPKe pic.twitter.com/OImg6veHTS
— Westside Current (@WestsideCurrent) August 6, 2024
The community is urging the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to reconsider Tooley's appointment. They are calling for "safe, equitable discrimination-free places for Jewish and Israeli-American school children." LAUSD needs to "comply with anti-discrimination laws and rescind the hire of this anti-Jewish racist immediately," they continue.
This isn't the first time Tooley has faced controversy over classroom lessons. At Saturn Street Elementary in Los Angeles, they used stuffed animals to introduce concepts of gender identity and pronouns to young students, according to reports from Fox News. Their teaching philosophy emphasized creating "safe and brave spaces" for students and believed children are ready to engage with these topics. They mentioned plans to implement a "rainbow club" for third-graders. The club, described as a GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) for elementary students, aimed to discuss different identities and ways to support the LGBTQ+ community.
