Citizens' initiative in Cobb protests against “pornography in Cobb schools”

A group of citizens who say they are “taking a stand against pornography in Cobb schools” will hold a press conference Thursday before a meeting of the Cobb Board of Education.

An email from an account named “takingAstandcobb” said the press conference would begin at 5 p.m. at the Cobb County School District headquarters, 514 Glover Street, in Marietta, and two school board members would be in attendance.

A follow-up message in response to a question from News from East Cobb The school board members were identified as Randy Scamihorn and Brad Wheeler, the current and past chairmen. Both are Republicans and are running for re-election in November.

When News from East Cobb When asked for information about “TakingAstandCobb,” the response was: “We are a group of Cobb citizens who have extensively researched the contents of the book and believe that the public has a right to be fully informed.”

No names were announced.

The message also said that a representative of Gays vs. Groomers will be present at the press conference.

It is a national organization that “The community’s website states that the organization is a community-based fight against the sexualization, indoctrination and medicalization of children that takes place under the guise of “LGBTQIA+.”

This includes resistance to “q“Gender theory and gender ideology are taught in the classroom.”

These issues have been the subject of controversial discussions in the Cobb School District over the past year.

The district has removed 20 books because, according to Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, they contain sexually explicit, offensive, obscene and vulgar content and are not suitable for children.

Cobb schools also fired a Due West Elementary School teacher last year for reading a book about a boy questioning his gender identity to her fifth-graders, a move the district said violated a new law on “divisive concepts” in Georgia education.

Teacher Katie Rinderle is suing the district.

At the same time, protesters against the removal of the books said the district’s objections are largely due to LGBTQ content.

But at a school board meeting in August, East Cobb resident JoEllen Smith read from two removed books, one of them titled “Gender Queer.”

Because of their explicit nature, her remarks were not broadcast on the district's livestream due to “federal regulations.”

Smith later said, “There are hundreds of pro-LBGT books that do not contain child pornography. And it unfairly equates homosexuality with pedophilia, which stigmatizes our gay youth.”

The Cobb School Board will hold a work session at 3 p.m. and a voting session at 7 p.m. on Thursday, with an executive board meeting in between.

You can view the agendas for the public meetings by clicking here.

The public sessions will also be streamed live on the Cobb County School District BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

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