COLUMBIA MO, – This morning on the radio program 939 The Eagle’s “Wake up Mid-Missouri” with Branden Rathert and 104.5 NewsRadio KWOS, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, called for the resignation of some Columbia Public Schools (CPS) officials after sending school children the 2023 Columbia Values Diversity Celebration that included a drag show presentation that took place on the morning of Thursday, January 19th.
CPS has received backlash after a drag show was shown to conclude the event, with elected city officials even tipping the performers.
“I am calling for the resignation or termination of any school official that knew that the drag show was going to be part of the event and willfully took children to the event. They need to resign or be terminated immediately.” Bailey exclaimed
The 30 children who attended the celebration had their parents’ permission, but the parents were unaware the drag show was part of the celebration where children from both private and parochial school students also attended.
Governor Parson also tweeted he was “deeply concerned” with the performances that were shown to the school children.
Dr. Brian Yearwood, Superintendent of CPS wrote in his letter back to Governor Mike Parson that CPS’ role in the event is “limited to participating in a single portion” and “CPS was unaware of what the performance by NClusion+ would entail”.
Many of the school officials’ names were on the event’s program so there is an ongoing debate as to whether or not CPS truly did not know what performances were going to take place at the event.
Attorney General Bailey called on three statutes that could have been undermined by CPS, with the most important one being RSMo 170.015, which sets guide rails on the curriculum given to certain ages of students with notification to the parents.
“This is shameful behavior, this is nothing short of deplorable,” Bailey said. “Don’t let them hide behind the shroud, the cloak, the deception of “diversity” because this issue is about protecting children.”
Attorney General Bailey was not the only one to speak on the matter, Governor Mike Parson tweeted he was “deeply concerned” with the performances that were shown to the school children. Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R- Boone County) has also shared that his office has received many calls from concerned parents, and has requested a meeting with superintendent Yearwood and the school board to evaluate what happened at the event, and how it happened.
Brady Hays is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History. He is currently attending the University of Missouri School of Law and is on pace to graduate with his JD in 2026. He has been working for the Missouri Times since early March 0f 2022.
