Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Gay Student Left In Tears After Being Accused Of 'Indoctrination' For Speaking About Bullying At School Board Meeting

Gay Student Left In Tears After Being Accused Of 'Indoctrination' For Speaking About Bullying At School Board Meeting
CBS Boston/YouTube

A gay student who opened up about being tormented by homophobic bullies at school during a school board meeting broke down after those in attendance jeered and accused her of "indoctrination."

Mackenzie Atwood, an openly gay senior student at Franklin High School in Massachusetts, was addressing a previous speaker about protected classes against bullying when she was suddenly heckled by a woman from the audience.



 

Atwood recalled with local news station WBZ:

"This woman stood up and said, 'This is the type of indoctrination that's being taught in schools,' I believe. It was very emotional."

She added:

"It definitely induced a lot of panic in me."

You can watch a news report here:

youtu.be

The woman's outburst on Tuesday prompted Dr. Anne Bergen, the Franklin School Committee Chair, to intervene.

Bergen told the disruptive woman:

"This meeting will be conducted respectfully. There will no shouting out from the crowd. That is not how we ever, ever conduct meetings in this building."
 

Atwood, who sits on the school committee, told parents and staff she and her fellow LGBTQ+ classmates had been targeted because of their sexuality and gender identity.

When a parent baselessly claimed White students were being bullied at school due to their race, Atwood attempted to explain how everyone was protected—regardless of race, religion and sexuality.

But she added this was not the case at the school and marginalized people like herself were not always given the protection they deserve.

She said:

"Being in theatre—there's obviously that stereotype that everyone in theatre is gay, and yeah, you can say that it's pretty true because a lot of us are gay and it's somewhere we can be comfortable and that's a safe space."

She continued explaining how she has witnessed the bullying firsthand.

"But when kids are coming to theatre every single day telling me, 'oh, I got called a fa**ot in the hall today,' or 'I got called a racial slur in the hall today', that's not something to joke about, though it's become something that we're so numb to that it becomes a joke."
"So I think it's important to understand that yes, everyone is protected at the school, but being someone who is Caucasian is not something that you're getting bullied about."

When attendees responded furiously to Atwood's comments, she said:

"Being homosexual—which may I say, I am gay, call me what you want about that—I am being personally attacked in school about this."

Her comment led to the woman shouting:

"It has to stop, this is the indoctrination!"

An emotional Atwood responded:

"It is extremely disgusting that you can look me in the eyes and say that I'm not being oppressed at this school."


 

She ended her statement through tears and asserted there was "no such thing as the gay agenda."

Bergen banged her gavel and paused the meeting to reinstate order.

 

You can watch the entire 2 1/2 hour school board meeting, with Atwood's statement beginning at the 35:03 mark, here:

youtu.be

In response to the chaotic incident, Sara Ahern, the superintendent of schools for the district, wrote a reproachful letter sent to members of the Franklin Community on Wednesday, following the meeting.

Ahern wrote:

"It is with a heavy heart and sincere anger that I write regarding the events that transpired at last evening's school committee meeting."
"The conduct, tone, and disruption by some members of the audience was appalling and a violation of Franklin Public Schools' core values of a safe and inclusive environment and a collaborative community as well as unacceptable with respect to public meeting procedures."

The Superintendent defended Atwood and described her conduct at the meeting as "eloquent and articulate."

Ahern also said the disruptive behavior from certain members in attendance "created a traumatic situation for the student and invalidated her statement of reality she so courageously shared."

 

She continued:

"We are processing the impact of this traumatic event on those in attendance as well as the vicarious trauma ringing throughout the community."
"Last night's disruption is not an isolated incident. Vitriol in civil discourse has only been increasing in both in-person settings as well as online in Franklin and elsewhere."
"This is true for children and adults alike."

Ahern said the incident was not just limited to the schools, but "bias-based behavior" was also "permeating layers of the community."

She concluded:

"As adults, I implore you to be mindful of your behavior as you serve as important role models,"
"Our children are watching."

Laura Atwood, Mackenzie Atwood's mother, said of Tuesday's disruption:

"It's sad that we have adults acting that way."

She and her daughter believe positive change shouldn't start at school but at home.

The student added in the interview the responsibility lies with parents to be more educated about respecting others and their identities.

Laura Atwood said:

"Teach respect—it's the bottom line."

More from News/lgbtq

Outraged Mom Calls Out American Airlines After Her Special Needs Daughter Is Forced To Crawl Off Plane
@susangroveTikTok

Outraged Mom Calls Out American Airlines After Her Special Needs Daughter Is Forced To Crawl Off Plane

Part of raising a child is sometimes having to stand by while they do something difficult in order to grow.

That was not the case recently where mom Susan Grove found herself forced to stand by while her special needs daughter crawled off of an American Airlines flight because there was no wheelchair.

Keep ReadingShow less
Reneé  Rapp
Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Singer Reneé Rapp Gives Young LGBTQ+ Fans Some Hilarious Advice On How To Handle Homophobic Parents

Actor and singer Reneé Rapp had a very public coming out as a lesbian in a sketch on Saturday Night Live back in January 2024 after previously identifying as bisexual.

Since then, the star of The Sex Lives of College Girls and the Mean Girls Broadway and movie musicals—inspired by the 2004 Lindsay Lohan film—has spoken about struggling with accepting and then eventually embracing her sexuality.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barbie dolls on display
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Conservatives Predictably Outraged After Mattel Introduces New Barbie With Type 1 Diabetes

Conservatives lashed out at toymaker Mattel after the company introduced a new Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes, including an insulin pump and blood sugar tracker—an action they say is "woke" while not understanding the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Mattel revealed a new partnership with Breakthrough T1D— formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation—to launch a Barbie doll that authentically represents people living with Type 1 diabetes. The collaboration, Mattel said, ensures the doll “truly captures the community,” including accessories that “accurately reflect the medical equipment” commonly used by individuals with the condition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Superman (2025) poster
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Warner Bros. Pictures

White House Blasted After Portraying Trump As Superman In Bonkers Poster Mock-up

The White House was mercilessly mocked online after it posted a revised poster for the latest Superman film that features President Donald Trump as the Man of Steel.

The latest big screen adaptation of the famed superhero comic, Superman, was directed by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet as the titular superhero, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film has received positive reviews and has already made an estimated $2.8 million from Tuesday previews for a total $21 million, including Thursday previews.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Charlie Kirk
Real America's Voice

MAGA Influencer Charlie Kirk Called Out After Blaming DEI For High Death Toll In Texas Flooding Disaster

Turning Point USA founder and MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk was harshly criticized after he claimed the death toll in the flash floods that have devastated central Texas "would not have been as high if it wasn't for DEI," ridiculously suggesting that principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion were responsible.

Kirk's comments are reflective of President Donald Trump’s broader push to dismantle federal programs focused on diversity and inclusion—part of what he pledged in his inaugural address would be a campaign to stop attempts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”

Keep ReadingShow less