Brief Indoctrination, Lasting Damage

Scottsdale parents caught their district exposing elementary students to LGBT propaganda hidden in a lesson about the Tuskegee Airmen. When confronted, SUSD admitted it happened but tried to minimize the damage with word games and misdirection.

The district’s response? It was really ‘brief’ and isn’t actually ‘replacing core instruction,’ so…

…it’s totally fine. Right?

What SUSD Got Caught Doing

Scottsdale elementary students watched a BrainPOP video about the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military aviators who fought during World War II. Near the end, the video compared their struggle to LGBT activism, displaying a newspaper headline “LGBT Welcome in the Military” with rainbow flag protesters at the White House.

“Injustice never ends overnight. It takes brave people to challenge it, and show everyone else that there’s another way,” the narrator told young children while these images flashed on screen.

Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity exposed this “curriculum” on August 19th, sharing the screenshot. SUSD had approved BrainPOP without committee review or community input. BrainPOP updates its content without notice, making parental oversight difficult or even impossible.

Search “gender” on BrainPOP for second graders, for example, and you find lessons on Pride Month, pronouns, and “sex determination.”

SUSD’s Defensive Response Makes It Worse

Caught red-handed, SUSD issued a “Myth vs. Fact” sheet that revealed its deception through careful omissions.

They claimed students are not exposed to materials violating Arizona law. But their own “fact” revealed the problem. Parents must request to review materials to determine if they want to opt out. Meaning teachers will likely expose this content to children before parents even know it exists.

SUSD’s “Myth #3” attacked a strawman, claiming parents believe these programs “replace core instruction.” That misses the point entirely. The real issue is schools and teachers presenting LGBT ideology as fact, regardless of whether or not it is replacing core instruction. SUSD’s own response admitted “teachers use them to reinforce concepts.” When you reinforce math, for example, with transgender propaganda, you are absolutely indoctrinating children.

Don’t think math is a realistic example? Let’s use another. How about… the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Mahmoud v. Taylor Decision

SUSD included this questionable material without notice despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor. In this 6-3 decision, the Court affirmed that parents have a constitutional right to opt their children out of instruction that contradicts their sincerely held religious beliefs, particularly regarding LGBT content in schools.

Arizona law already prohibits sex education before fifth grade. The Mahmoud ruling goes further, explaining that “it is not realistic to expect parents to rely on after-the-fact reports by their young children to determine whether the parents’ free exercise rights have been burdened.” The Supreme Court justices recognized that parents, not schools, have the primary right to direct their children’s moral and religious upbringing.

How SUSD Undermines Parental Authority

SUSD’s approach flips the entire Mahmoud decision on its head. Instead of schools proactively notifying parents, SUSD puts the burden on the parents to somehow discover what content exists, request to see it, then opt out; often after exposure has already happened.

SUSD tells parents to call (480) 484-5063 to schedule appointments to review materials, ignoring the fact that BrainPOP’s content updates continuously. How can parents review what doesn’t exist yet?

Mahmoud recognized parents need advance notification about sensitive content, not a bureaucratic appointment system that exposes children while parents wait.

“Brief” Indoctrination Is Still Indoctrination

SUSD’s main defense? The LGBT content was “brief.” It only “flashed” on screen. The narrator never mentioned it directly.

Outrageous!

Would SUSD accept “brief” exposure to pornography? A “flash” of violence? Silent promotion of racism?

Duration does not determine appropriateness. Elementary children should receive zero LGBT political messaging, whether it lasts a few seconds or a full eight hours.

Every parent knows children are sponges. They absorb everything they see. A “brief flash” in a trusted educational video carries more weight than hours of content they know is entertainment.

Religious Freedom at Stake

The Supreme Court specifically recognized in Mahmoud that LGBT content often conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs of many families. That’s why the Court ruled schools must accommodate parents who object to such material on religious grounds.

SUSD’s approach doesn’t just undermine parental authority, it places a particular burden on them. By exposing children to LGBT content, the district forces these families into an impossible position: either accept that their children will be exposed to ideas that contradict their faith or constantly monitor and challenge the school system.

Accountability Begins with Parents

The Empower Hotline at the Arizona Department of Education exists for exactly this reason; to report lessons that push gender ideology instead of academics. We encourage you to use it. Every inappropriate lesson reported builds the case for change and exists for exactly this situation.

Watch what your children watch online. Ask specific questions about their lessons. Screenshot questionable content. Report it immediately. Attend board meetings. Demand committee review of all supplemental materials before approval, not after.

Most importantly, understand your rights under the Mahmoud decision. Schools cannot legally force your child to participate in instruction that violates your sincerely held religious beliefs. The burden is on the school to accommodate your concerns, not on you to discover problematic content after-the-fact.

SUSD allowed LGBT ideology to reach elementary students without proper oversight. Maybe it was negligence, maybe it was by design. Maybe they counted on parents being too busy to notice, too tired to fight, or too intimidated to speak up.

They were wrong.

Brief indoctrination is still indoctrination. And our children deserve better.

SAVE THE DATE!

Digital Discernment: Creating a Tech-Ready Home in the AI Age

Speaking of monitoring online content, join us on September 23rd, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. for a townhall webinar featuring Chris McKenna, CEO of Protect Young Eyes. This webinar aims to equip parents and families with strategies for navigating today’s digital landscape and protecting children in an AI-driven world. Register for the webinar here!

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