Ohio parents concerned by teacher badges linking to sexually explicit material

Note: This article contains sexually explicit content.

Parents in Hilliard, Ohio, are frustrated with the school district for allowing teachers to wear QR code-enabled badges that link to a website that showcases sexually explicit material.

The National Education Association and its local affiliate in Hilliard have been providing staff in the school district with the QR code-enabled badges as a way to reach out to LGBTQ+ students, according to local reports. The code links to the "NEA LGBTQ+ Caucus" website and resources from gender activist organizations including Scarleteen, Sex, Etc., Gender Spectrum, The Trevor Project, and Teen Health Source, education activist Christopher Rufo recently highlighted on his website.

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One of the linked resources, Teen Health Source’s "Queering Sexual Education," promises to "empower youth" and includes a how-to guide for performing "anal sex," "bondage," "rimming," "domination," "sadomasochism," "muffing," and "fisting." One of the materials offers instructions on how to, "[put] a fist or whole hand into a person’s vagina or bum."

"The badge has a QR code that once scanned takes you to a website that has extremely inappropriate information and as a parent that crosses the line," said Lisa Chaffee, a Hilliard parent with Ohio Parents Rights in Education.

Hilliard Schools Superintendent Dave Stewart, who defended the badges as sharing a "message of safety and inclusion for all students" in a statement to ABC 6, said the QR codes were not intended for students, but as resources for the teachers. He said the teachers were aware of it, but "out of an abundance of caution," they were given additional guidance on the badges, including that it might be in their best interest to "cover" the QR code.

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"The badges in question were provided to any teacher who requested one by the National Education Association (NEA) and Hilliard Education Association (HEA)," Stewart said. "The front of the badge that is visible when worn says ‘I’m Here.’ The intent of the badge is a message of safety and inclusion for all students.

"The QR code on the back of the badge is not there to be shared with students; rather, it is provided to adults by the NEA should they be interested in learning more about LGTBQ+ issues and supporting LGBTQ+ students. Any teacher who chose to wear one of the badges clearly understood that the resources at the link were intended for adults, not students. The resources are provided for teachers’ personal growth and professional development. No teacher was ever required to wear one of the badges or access any of the resources linked to the QR code. 

"Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, teachers have received the following guidance from their association leadership regarding the badges:

• Teachers were reminded that the resources linked to the QR code were for adult learning only. Additionally, they were reminded that the resources should not be included or used in designing any lesson plan.
• Teachers were reminded that if asked about the "I’m Here" message on the badge, their response should be age appropriate.
• Teachers were advised that it may be in their best interest to cover the QR code on the back of the badge.

"The Hilliard City School District remains committed to ensuring that all students feel safe, included, and welcomed in their learning experience. While the badges were not created or provided by the Hilliard City School District, the district embraces the inclusive nature of the message. Questions about the specific resources provided to teachers should be directed to the NEA or HEA."

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Hilliard Education Association President Linna Jordan provided the following statement to Fox News Digital, saying the "Safe space" badges are meant to be symbols of support to students "who may need it" and could even serve as a critical lifeline for LGBTQ+ students in crisis.

"The well-being of our students is and always has been the Hilliard Education Association’s top priority. We know every student must feel safe, welcomed, and respected in their school environment before they can focus on academic instruction. The ‘I’m here. Safe person. Safe space’ badges that some Hilliard educators opted to wear are visible symbols of their support to their students who may need it and serve as a critical lifeline for LGBTQ+ students who are in crisis who need a trusted adult to help. The QR code on the back of the badge links to a long list of resources for educators –not students—to ensure trusted adults are equipped to support their students and provide assistance as needed.  

"And make no mistake, that support is desperately needed. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24, and LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. This elevated risk is not because of who LGBTQ+ children are but because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized by the people around them. They need to know there are adults who care about and value them, regardless of who they are, where they’re from, what they look like, their gender identity, or who they love.  

"Unfortunately, extremists working to amplify the playbooks of a national network of political radicals are once again trying to manufacture controversy and weaponize LGBTQ+ issues to distract Ohioans from the very real issues facing our schools. Our students need fully and fairly funded public schools; they need relief from high-stakes standardized testing that takes time away from teaching and learning and unfairly punishes kids and school districts; they need stronger mental health supports; they need the freedom to be themselves, pursue their dreams, and feel safe in our communities; the list goes on and on. They don't need to have pundits and political puppeteers spinning up a moral panic around badges that simply identify some educators as trusted adults. It’s disingenuous and cruel, and we must all come together to demand better for our kids."

Parents in other states are sounding off on classroom material they argue is inappropriate for adolescents, including an Oklahoma parent who warned of a teacher directing students how to access "pornographic" books via a QR code. The QR code took students to the Brooklyn Public Library Books Unbanned site, which is designed to give students access to books that are removed from, or otherwise challenged, in libraries and schools.

The library’s website, by way of example, promoted a reading of the book "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe, which depicts sexual acts and contains discussions on masturbation. 

A California teacher who was recently exposed by Fox News Digital for having sexually charged materials in her "classroom queer library" which contained information on BDSM and kink spoke out to her followers privately on TikTok. 

"I want people who follow me to know that I believe very much in what I'm doing, and I think my history as a teacher speaks for itself. I know the prevalence of cruelty and ignorance can often be very disappointing, but I still believe, as I hope you do, in the supremacy of love," she said. 

The district said they did not endorse the teacher's comments.

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"The district does not endorse the personal statements of any individuals speaking in their capacity as private citizens. Our jurisdiction only extends to comments made by employees in their official capacities," the Capistrano school district told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital's Kelsey Koberg and Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.