Parents outraged at first-grade teacher's decision to read book about gay bunnies to students
A Florida school district is conducting an internal investigation, after an elementary school teacher read a book about gay bunnies to a class of first-graders.
A teacher at Pinecrest Elementary School in Sanford, Fla., whose name has not been released, read a book titled A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo to his class several weeks ago, without previously informing the district or the students’ parents, according to the Orlando news station WFTV. The illustrated book, presented by the host of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver, and written by Jill Twiss, is a parody of a book written by Vice President Mike Pence‘s family about his rabbit, Marlon Bundo.
In Oliver’s version, Bundo falls in love with another male rabbit whom he ends up marrying. It was created to mock the vice president’s stance on same-sex marriage — and parents told the local Florida outlet that that they felt this was not appropriate for the young students.
Parents’ complaints prompted the Seminole County School District to launch an investigation, since the book was not approved reading.
“It’s not something that should be in an elementary school,” Wendy Curry told WFTV. “That’s for me to decide at home — what I want to teach my child and what I feel they are able to handle.”
“I don’t think it’s fair they are not telling the other parents about what they read,” a student’s grandfather, Kraig Hudson, said. “Noah comes home one day and asks us if it’s OK for two male bunnies to get married. I said, ‘By our beliefs, no. But we do not judge nobody.'”
Another parent, Kellie Cowart, noted that she would not have minded the book choice if it had been run by parents first.
“I’m a very open person talking to my kids about that stuff,” Cowart said. “At the same time, a little heads-up would be nice.”
A representative from the school district tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the district is unable to comment on ongoing district investigations. According to WFTV, however, the teacher is continuing to teach during the investigation.
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