School district faces grilling for teacher's trans-activism

A Wisconsin school district is being called to account for a teacher who promoted his transgenderism to elementary-age children.

In a letter to Supt. Jennifer Cheatham of the Madison, Wisconsin, Metropolitan School District, Liberty Counsel is asking the district to provide public records regarding the stunt by science teacher Mark 'Vince' Busenbark (a.k.a. 'Vica Steel'). Busenbark produced a video at home with his wife and showed it to every K-5th grade child at Allis Elementary School.

On Facebook, Busenbark stated the purpose of the video was "all so [the children] can know who I am and who I am becoming."

In the video, Liberty Counsel said, Busenbark contends people who disagree with him about the issue of transgenderism are motivated by "fear" and "hate."

He reads a book titled "They Call Me Mix." A passage in the book says: "'BOY or GIRL?' Are you a boy or a girl? How can you be both? "Some days I am both. Some days I am neither. Most days I am everything in between."

"The book reading supports his claim to the students," Liberty Counsel said in the letter, "that he is neither male nor female but 'transgender' and/or 'non-binary' and his 'request' that students now call him 'Mix' or 'Mx.' 'Steel' (his wife's name) instead of 'Mr. B.'"

The school did not respond to WND's request for an interview.

In its letter, Liberty Counsel said the teacher's activism "appears to violate several district policies, as well as the constitutional prohibition against schools enforcing any kind of 'orthodoxy."

That restriction, stated by the U.S. Supreme Court, is, "If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein."

Liberty Counsel said Busenbark "has no legal authority to force students to call him 'Mx.,' nor to manipulate them with the idea that they must obey him or be seen is 'disrespectful' or 'hateful' or 'not loving.'"

Under provisions of Wisconsin law, Liberty Counsel asked for any emails, flyers, notes, text messages and other district communications asking parental permission to show the "coming out" video to students. It also requested all communications from Allis Elementary Principal Sara Cutler, Vice Principal Andrea Alrichichi or Busenbark "notifying the district of the plan to show the video, or requesting district permission to show the video to the children."

The potential conflicts center on the district's wellness policy, which states instruction should be "age-appropriate, medically accurate, and non-stigmatizing," and its policies regarding controversial issues, the use of district resources and "political activities."

Liberty Counsel also wants to see all emails referencing the video as the cause of confusion to children, communications approving Busenbark's use of "Mix" or "Mx.," and any other communications referencing the controversy.

Liberty Counsel explains its request for records is to "begin uncovering the full extent of this teacher's inappropriate activism in the classroom."

"During the video, Busenbark also showed the students scary, ghostlike figures that represent 'hateful' people that do not support 'transgender' ideology," Liberty Counsel said. "At the video's conclusion, Busenbark then 'requests' students to call him by a woman’s name, inappropriate plural pronouns, and the invented title of 'Mix.'"

Busenbark states: "And now, let me introduce myself, anew. ... I am going to take my wife, Stella Steel's last name, and I am going to use, not mister, not miss, but 'mix.' So you can call me, 'Mix Steel.' ... And for my pronouns, you can call me 'they,' 'them' and 'their.'"

Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver said it's "outrageous that school administrators would allow a male science teacher to expose children to propaganda that promotes confusion about basic biology, and to instruct students to address him by a false name, title and pronoun."

"These impressionable students do not exist to validate Busenbark's sexual identity. Parents send their children to school trusting that they will be taught academic curriculum, not become participants in a teacher's play acting," he said.

On Facebook, Busenbark was plain in his intention to persuade students to adopt his beliefs.

"And I hope to reach that kid, sitting in the corner with their hood pulled over their face that despite the taunts and the hate, their truth is real and their truth is beautiful," he wrote.