Exclusive: Embattled Loudoun County School Board Receives Declaration of ‘War’ From Parent-Activist Billboard Chris

Yesterday I attended the Loudoun County School Board meeting, you know, the ones that have been on the news in the past with parents screaming and being dragged out by local law enforcement.

I’ve been to a few of these meetings since moving out here. But, for the record, I have yet to see what the mainstream media would like you to believe are crazed-strung out right-wing parents wigging out on the podium.

Last night was no different than the other ones I attended. However, that didn’t make it any less interesting. I would argue now more than ever, parents and the media need to pay attention to these meetings because all sorts of exciting things happen when parents are not in attendance, and the cameras are not on.

Take this last meeting, where the first hour or so was focused on the apparent need to rename schools in the name of combating ‘systemic racism,’ followed by the results of the Standards of Learning assessments. But it wasn’t until later in the evening that we got to hear from parents; one, in particular, had quite the warning for the school board.

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Misplaced Priorities

The meeting started at 4pm EST, which makes it difficult for most parents to attend as many are still at work or wrangling children and such for evening activities like dinner and homework. However, it’s during this beginning section that perhaps parents would find the most frustrating.

Don’t get me wrong, the meeting was dry, and on occasion, I had to check my pulse to ensure I hadn’t died of boredom. But I did find it interesting that the first item on the docket for extended discussion wasn’t academic performance or quality of life for educators or students but the oh-so-meaningful conversation of renaming schools. 

The school board discussed at length, which had to have been at least 40 minutes, renaming schools because of their association with slavery or Confederate leaders or causes. One of the criteria for review was any school named for someone who lived in the 17th, 18th, AND 19th centuries. 

That’s quite a broad stroke to review. It wasn’t until AFTER this discussion that the school board reviewed the Standards of Learning (SOL) report, highlighting how students in the county are doing in critical subjects and demographics.

Spoiler alert, there was a considerable dip during the pandemic, and they haven’t fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. But I suppose it is more critical to rename those schools; then, we can deal with the pesky academics.

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The Parents

It’s not until much later in the evening that public comment occurs, which is what most of America probably associates with these school board meetings. It wasn’t until around 7:30pm that parents started to speak to the school board. 

Honestly, there was a fair share of parents and educators to speak about varying issues. So you had a group there to speak out against Governor Glenn Youngkin’s policy that forces schools to associate children with their biological sex and keep parents informed on matters about their kids, and a group there to speak in favor of the policy.

Those opposed to the model policy decried the “otherizing” and “deadnaming” of students in the name of “homophobic” and “transphobic” parents. In addition, yesterday was “National Coming Out Day” which was often announced by those speakers who dislike the new model policy, with many letting students know they are “seen,” “loved,” and “valued.”

On the flip side, you had parents urging the school board to adopt the new policy reminding the school board of its history of allowing boy students into girls’ bathrooms. However, a new face in the crowd caught most people’s attention.

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Declaration of War

Chris Elston is a father from Vancouver, British Columbia, commonly known as ‘Billboard Chris’ on social media. Chris travels North America raising the blood pressure of trans-activists standing outside wearing, as his moniker suggests, billboards that state such controversial statements like ‘Gender Ideology Does Not Belong in Schools’ and ‘Children Cannot Consent to Puberty Blockers.’

When it was his turn to address the school board members, Chris rightly pointed out that they seemed uninterested in what the parents had to say that night with “apathetic faces.” However, perhaps the most interesting argument he made regarding the youth transition movement was:

“What an abusive thing to say to a child, that they might be born in the wrong body.”

He ended his 2-minute allotted time to let the school board know that he would be donning his billboards and talking to parents in Loudoun County, stating that while the school board may have declared war on parents, he is declaring war on them.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

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Grab Some Coffee, Go To a Meeting

I feel Loudoun County won’t be disappearing from the news cycle anytime soon, especially with a guy walking around wearing a billboard and talking to parents about one of the most electrifying issues in the nation. The reality, however, is that school boards across this country are making all sorts of decisions that parents have no clue about.

How is that possible? Because most parents don’t have time to attend school board meetings that are often scheduled during inopportune times and last far too long. Trust me, I know.

But if you have kids in public school and honestly, if you pay taxes, you should attend a few. You might need to mainline caffeine, but it’ll be worth it. 

Sitting in last night’s meeting, I must’ve heard the word ‘equity’ invoked a few dozen times and minimal talk about academics. Parents also raised valid concerns about the proposed new school year calendar with a staggering 38 holidays and ten fewer school days.

Because that’s just what today’s students need, less time in school learning, although all reports indicate that America’s students aren’t learning much of anything anyway, perhaps they would be better served at home. 

We must be active participants in our local government. Sure, D.C. is pretty swampy and corrupt. Still, the hard truth is most of what will affect you directly happens right within your district, and the special interests groups are betting and banking on you not participating. 

 

I’ll be looking forward to more meetings, and I can’t wait to see what Billboard Chris finds out about what parents really think in our district.