Barnes: BLM Seacoast Youth Town Hall Requested Parents Leave

February 10, 2021
Dear Editor,

On the morning of February 8, 2021, I was forwarded a screenshot of an email from a Hampton mother. The email was sent from Hampton Academy Vice-Principal Hughes to academy students, the email served as an announcement from the Youth Outreach Director of Black Lives Matter Seacoast that there would be a "youth" town hall on Monday Feb. 8, 2021 at 6:30pm. The email was sent to this seventh grader on Thursday February 4, 2021. Parents were not notified until Friday February 5, 2021, when Principal O'Connor included an announcement of the event in an email sent to academy parents. However, the email did not state that the school had already solicited their children the day prior.

Due to my meeting schedule, I was unable to attend. However, I did speak with a mother after her participation on the call. The Hampton mother informed me that the director of the meeting specifically stated that the zoom call was for youth only, and requested that parents and teachers leave the meeting! Mind you that these are all under the age of 18 children, minors.

I was informed by another Hampton parent who participated on the call that Hampton Superintendent Dr. Costa was also on the call and seemed to give it her blessing. Of course, keep in mind that this could be due to the civil rights charges recently brought against the school district.

I would argue that schools should focus on academics rather than events hosted by political agenda interest groups, but if they are going to promote left liberal agendas then there should also be o the same opportunities given to more conservative agenda groups. So here is what I'm thinking, since the school is tying this to Black History Month, and they invited a political group into our school community, perhaps Hampton parents should request that a pro-life political group present information to students on the history of Planned Parenthood as a racist organization and talk about the number of black people that the organization has aborted?

There is something called viewpoint discrimination. I'm not an attorney but if the school is going to allow political groups in, then it seems that other political groups should also be given the same consideration. It would be best if this request came from a parent of a student.

As far as vice principals making announcements about Black Lives Matter (BLM) Seacoast events, permission should of been sought by the parents before an email going out to the students. BLM leadership has publicly stated that they are Marxist trained. In my view, a parent should have the right to know about any "Youth Town Hall" presentation by an organization with ANY Marxist connections. This should be known to all parents prior to a solicitous email invite being sent to their underage child, in my view.

To all readers, if this is in your schools it is in all the schools.

Regina Barnes
Hampton, NH