Military officer labeled mom 'safety' concern for opposing LGBT sexuality posters at elementary school
A high-ranking military officer labeled a New Jersey mother a "safety concern" and reported her to local police for criticizing her child's elementary school for displaying posters in the hallway about sexual preferences visible to small children without parents' consent.
As Fox News reported Thursday, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher Schilling informed the local police department that the mother, Angela Reading, prompted "safety concerns" by posting her disapproval with posters at her 7-year-old child's school in a local Facebook group.
The posters displayed information on the different kinds of sexuality, including "polysexual," and were part of a "safe space" posters project at North Hanover Township Elementary School.
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Reading is also a Northern Burlington Board of Education member and the mother of a 7-year-old elementary school student.
"I was more than surprised. I was scared," Reading said in an interview on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Wednesday. "I actually pulled my kids from school the day I found out. It was mind-boggling, and I was worried for them when the U.S. military comes after you for simply raising concern about a public poster that is widely available for all to see."
The officer indicated on his Facebook page that there were "security concerns" surrounding the mother's post, according to Fox News. Schilling added that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is working with local law enforcement to "monitor the situation" and "ensure the continued safety of the entire community."
"The current situation involving Ms. Reading's actions has caused safety concerns for many families," he wrote. "The Joint Base leadership takes this situation very seriously and from the beginning have had the Security Forces working with multiple state and local law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation to ensure the continued safety of the entire community."
In a statement to Fox News, the joint base confirmed that it notified law enforcement about the exchange between Reading and Schilling on social media, claiming it's a "common information-sharing practice among law enforcement entities."
As the Chaos and Control Substack page reported Wednesday, Reading warned parents via a local Facebook group on Nov. 22 about LGBT-themed posters at the North Hanover Township Elementary School entrance.
The posters, which the Chaos and Control substack page first reported on last month, were reportedly designed by 9-year-old students and celebrate different forms of sexuality. According to the report, parents are supposed to be able to exempt their children from lessons on sexual concepts, but they can't "opt [their] child out of the main entrance of the school."
Reading felt that her post on social media about the posters was "moderate" and stated that Schilling is a "bad-faith actor," according to Fox News. The mother emphasized that he does not represent all military personnel in the area, adding that North Hanover is home to many "phenomenal" military families and teachers.
An administrator for the Facebook group reportedly told Reading that the North Hanover Police Chief Robert Duff thought the post should be removed. The post was taken down.
"We shouldn't be utilizing government resources and our positions to pressure individuals to take down Facebook posts," she said. "I also shared with him the post that he'd already seen. There was nothing wrong. It didn't violate any law. It didn't violate any Facebook rule whatsoever."
The joint base and the North Hanover Township Elementary School District did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
Parental concerns about their child's exposure to content about sex and sexuality have emerged in other school districts as well, particularly in school libraries.
As The Christian Post reported, a Michigan school district announced last month that it would remove certain book titles and reduce student access to others in response to parents' objections. The parents who voiced concerns, many of whom belonged to the district's prominent Muslim community, felt certain book titles were sexually graphic.
In a statement to CP, David Mustonen, director of communications for Dearborn Public Schools, said that the district had reviewed specific book titles due to parents' concerns. He also explained that a new policy implemented in October allows parents to review library materials online and prevent their children from checking them out.
Last August, other parents spoke during a Carmel Clay School Board meeting in Indiana about several books made available to students that contain pornographic sex scenes and promoted gender confusion and transgenderism.
In Virginia, mother Stacy Langton voiced concern at a board meeting in September 2021 about two books available to students in Fairfax County Public Schools that she says include "pedophilia, [and] sex between men and boys." The two books were reviewed by the school district and reinstated last November.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com.
