A Rose Hill high school student who has been taking concurrent (sometimes called “dual credit”) courses at Butler County Community College said he was required to answer a question on how many genders exist with “five” as part of a test for his intro to Psychology course.
The Sentinel is withholding the names of some sources in this story as a precaution against online or in-person harassment.
The student said the instructor, Lisa Tatum, who is listed on the course syllabus as “Adjunct Instructor of Psychology” but who does not appear to be listed on the BCCC website, informed the class — as a “fact” — that there were five genders.
She allegedly further told the class the only way they would get an “A” on the test on “Gender Development, Sexuality and Eating Disorders” was to “correctly” answer the question “how many genders are there” with “five.”
Photos of Tatum’s whiteboard notes would appear to bear out at least the instruction that there are “five genders.”
According to the student, answering with the biological reality of “two” would be unacceptable.
Tatum also allegedly shared photos from her transgender daughter’s wedding as “proof” of more than two genders.
Arguably inappropriate material being taught in creative writing class
An additional issue for the student — who is a devout Christian — was the inclusion of a short story in his English 101 class, which describes graphic bullying against a young boy.
The story, one of a series of essays by Ryan Van Meter in a book entitled, “If You Knew Then What I Know Now,” describes a young boy of 12, presumably VanMeter himself, being bullied by two boys he thought were friends, pretending to kiss and trying to get him to ‘come out’ in sixth grade.
The themes are arguably disturbing and include foul language. While the inclusion in a college course could be understandable, the student and his parents had issues with it being taught in a class that would almost certainly contain minors.
Inquiries to Rose Hill school district were ignored
The Sentinel reached out to BCCC President Kim Krull via email after a parent shared their concerns, asking if BCCC considered coercive grading practices such as were described appropriate and if any action would be taken to address the issue.
The Sentinel additionally asked if the college considered assigning material such as the short story in a class containing minors is appropriate.
Krull responded via email, stating her office had not been contacted by the parent, and asking to be put in contact, and would “follow … appropriate protocols to look into concerns” and “pass this along to the appropriate dean.”
According to the parent, Krull did reach out, and they and the dean have been attempting to make contact. What action, if any, might be taken is, of course, unclear.
When concerns were allegedly brought to the school counselor, the student said they were told that — as it was a college class — there was nothing the school could do about the course material, but if they had further issues with an assignment to return to see what could be done.
However, district officials could (if they want) refuse to allow the course to be taught, if nothing else.
The Sentinel also reached out to Rose Hill Superintendent of Schools Randal Chickadonz, asking if the district was aware of the material being taught and if the district considered such material appropriate, as well as if any action would be taken.
The email was — according to receipts — delivered but not read, and multiple phone messages to Chickadonz went unreturned as of publication.
