Minnesota assistant principal tells staff to use 'straight, white privilege' amid genderless award controversy
Minnesota assistant principal references 'keyboard warriors' concerned about Farmington High School switching to homecoming 'royalty' rather than 'king' and 'queen'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Minnesota high school is coming under fire from parents after an administrator asked staff to use their "straight, white privilege" to protect students from "keyboard warriors" at an upcoming event.
Farmington High School administrators were addressing a smaller controversy surrounding the decision to eliminate the Homecoming King and Homecoming Queen awards in favor of the genderless Homecoming Royalty. Some parents complained about the change, Leading Assistance Principal Laura Wagner to draft an email to staff members.
"I chatted with Tiffany Fearing about homecoming a bit and wanted to talk a bit about what our presence looks like at the parade and coronation as we switch to royalty instead of a king and queen," Wagner began.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Per usual we have some keyboard warriors who are making Tiffany concerned about student wellbeing. I think her concerns are valid, and I want to make sure we are showing up for her and our students," she continued. "This would be a great time to use your straight, white privilege to reassure and support students and staff in doing what they believe is right for our school community."
EDUCATION ADVOCATES WEIGH IN ON NEW JERSEY'S NEW MANDATORY CLIMATE CHANGE CURRICULUM IN SCHOOLS
An email from Farmington High School assistant principal Laura Wagner. (Fox News)
A parent who wishes to remain anonymous criticized the email, saying school administrators had a long history of pushing "an agenda" on parents and their children.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MINNESOTA RESIDENTS FURIOUS OVER ‘ANTI-RACIST' LAYOFF PLAN FOR WHITE TEACHERS: ‘IT’S UN-AMERICAN'
"The Farmington, Minnesota school district preaches inclusivity and non-discriminatory actions to the staff and students," the parent told Fox News. "As a parent, it’s offensive and appalling to see that behind closed doors they feel as though they can use certain discriminatory verbiage to push an agenda that parents, students, and the community are unaware of."
"The school has continually pushed a random agenda of division and exclusivity to the students which came to light last year, and this is just a new faction of the schools quiet procedural dissidence," the parent continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An aerial view of Farmington High School in Farmington, Minnesota. (Farmington High School)
The Farmington school district acknowledged that the email was authentic in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying the school was addressing the matter.
"We are aware of an email that was sent to a small number of staff regarding the Farmington High School homecoming parade and coronation which is now circulating," the school wrote. "We cannot comment specifically on this as it is a private personnel matter; however the district is addressing the situation. As a public school district, serving our whole community through providing safe learning environments is always our primary focus."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wagner and Tiffany Fearing, the teacher at the school who was referenced in the email, did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.