Christian nationalist Margie Massoudi was positively apoplectic after learning that a teacher in Florida shared brownies with a club he sponsors for students.
But it wasn't the sugar content or potential for issues with food allergies that concerned the so-called conservative activist who—like most of her ilk who invade school board meetings across the country—doesn’t have a child in the school she was complaining about.
Massoudi offered her comments at the November 4 Duval County Public School board meeting in Jacksonville, Florida. During the public comment portion, anyone who wishes to speak may address the board for one minute on any topic they want.
Massoudi opened her speech by thanking the conservative board members and lamenting about how much criticism they receive. She claimed she knocked on thousands of doors to support conservative candidates, then warned she’d “knock on 20,000” doors to unseat the two liberal board members.
Massoudi, wearing an American flag vest, was there to lash out at a teacher who had previously spoken about bringing his husband’s brownies to a club meeting for students at an October 7 board meeting.
After thanking conservative board members, the proud Christian nationalist read from her Bible, quoting Matthew 18:6, which she misidentified as "Matthew Mark Luke." The passage when read in context refers to those vulnerable in their faith in Christ, not children, but Massoudi appeared ignorant of this.
Massoudi read from her phone:
“And this is recorded on Matthew Mark Luke, 'But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea'.”
Massoudi then went on a barely intelligible rant, saying:
“To that teacher that he said, ‘I’m weird, and I bring brownies to my class,’ and say, ‘My husband makes this.'”
“I have gay family members, and they, they saw that and say, ‘He’s crazy. He shouldn’t be in that school, in that class.’”
“What public school have hired that man to come and teach that to those innocent children?”
You can watch Massoudi's performance here:
People gave Massoudi's concerns all the respect they deserved.
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People found her choice of Bible readings disturbing.
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Others found the notion of gay brownies amusing.
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The teacher that Massoudi referenced was Steven Isicoff, who has been teaching at Duval for seven years. During the October 7 board meeting, Isicoff spoke in reference to the conservative majority on the board promoting their Christian nationalism.
Four board members are affiliated with the far-right group Moms for Liberty which routinely targets LGBTQ+ students, teachers, and parents.
Florida’s 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay law,” banned instruction in classrooms about LGBTQ+ people.
The state has not said the law prohibits LGBTQ+ teachers from mentioning their spouses, but conservative Christian nationalist school board members have used the law to justify firing a teacher for being nonbinary and to ban a trans teacher from using the correct pronouns.
Immediately after the law’s passage, LGBTQ+ teachers in Orange County, Florida, were ordered not to display pictures of same-sex spouses.
Isicoff told the conservative board in October that students could tell he was queer without him telling them and that there were numerous queer educators who weren't going anywhere, whether the Christian nationalists liked it or not.
Isicoff added that because his students identified him as queer, he could be honest with them.
He stated:
"I sponsor a club, and when I bring in brownies, I get to tell my students that my husband made those brownies..."
Being honest and authentic with students is appalling to conservatives like Massoudi.
Maybe that's why so many conservative Christian leaders get caught lying, cheating, stealing, and committing sex crimes.
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