Shelby Schools ‘inclusive’ environment shuts out parents & lands it on State Watch list

SHELBY — For some time now, it has been known that the Shelby School District no longer ‘follows the science.’ Under Tim Tarvin’s leadership, the School Administration’s lips were sealed when it came to providing information pertaining to sexual orientation/gender identity (SOGI) issues. While the district recently changed Superintendents, the District has tried to sweep the issue under the rug, and watchdog groups are taking note.

Protect Children Ohio Coalition, an organization tracking public schools that indoctrinate students with Critical Race Theory and SOGI ideology, has Shelby Schools on its watch list. One local pastor who believes genders are based on biology, is grateful for their assistance.

“We welcome the coalition’s efforts. As faith leaders, we believe in protecting children from those who would destroy their innocence and exploit them for their own purposes,” says Pastor Kevin Evans, head of the Shelby Ministerial Alliance. “On the whole, parents are the best protectors of children and have the natural right and duty for the care.” Evans’ group was instrumental in a letter sent to school officials in 2022.

Unfortunately, Shelby Schools never notified parents that students of the opposite biological gender had been given permission to use any restroom of their choice. While the district will not say, it is believed the school restroom policy changed in 2021.

That year, a Shelby female student had an encounter with a boy entering the girls’ restroom. According to a family member requesting anonymity, the student started a petition opposing gender identity restrooms but was later disciplined. After that incident, the honor roll student decided to leave Shelby Schools and transfer to Buckeye Central Schools.

In April of 2022, City Councilman Nate Martin addressed the School Board on its pronouns policy and lack of parent notification. It is believed that one of the district’s teachers resigned over the district’s unofficial pronoun policy.

In response to public information requests by Frontlines Ohio, Tim Tarvin stated the ‘district does not make transgender determinations or classifications.’  Previously Tarvin told the Mansfield News Journal that there were “Ten students at the high school and one at Pioneer Career & Technology Center that identify as transgender and that the school district has had kids who identify as transgender for six years.” 

The father of one of the transgender students publicly stated during at a 2023 school board meeting that Shelby Schools never disclosed to him that his son had formally ‘changed genders’ until one year later when an incident involving his son occurred in a school female restroom.

The trade secret for many public school districts is to not answer public information requests pertaining to sexual orientation/gender identity issues. For example, Beth Lykins, the Shelby Schools Public Records Officer, would not answer if male students would be sleeping in the same rooms as female students for the April 1st-6th Disney band field trip.

Lykins’ response to numerous inquiries by Frontlines Ohio was, “The above is not a public records request – a record held by a public office that is stored on a fixed medium and created, received or sent under the jurisdiction of a public office and documents the organization functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities.”

The Ohio State Board of Education declares its emphatic support for the original meaning of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to be a historical and continuing pillar in upholding the rights and opportunities of women and girls, the U.S. Supreme Court also weighs in. The High Court has determined specifically the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right of parents to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children.

Refusing to listen to the Ohio State Board of Education’s guidance, School Board President Lorie White received criticism for her ‘woke policies’ regarding female restrooms and shower facilities. As a result, after sixteen years on the Shelby School Board, White will not be running for re-election. White quickly followed Tarvin’s exit from School Administration.

While Ex-Superintendent Tim Tarvin did not respect families in the district nor their values, (i.e. safety of females) at least he was friendly to his own family. Under Tarvin’s leadership the district in April 2021 auctioned off as a pair, two of its three-acre properties, Dowds & Auburn Elementary schools for the minimum bid of $25,000 to Core Community Church. Appraised at $1.1 million, the Auburn building alone was 37,892 square feet. The lead pastor at the church happened to be Tarvin’s son-in- law.

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says Isaiah Five, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”