Michigan school board member calls for fed probe over ‘indoctrination’ claims

State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder wants a federal investigation of the Michigan Department of Education
She claims new health standards violate the law by including lessons on gender identity
The request comes days after feds launched a probe of Detroit, Lansing and Godfrey-Lee schools’ sex ed curricula

Days after the US Department of Justice announced investigations into three Michigan school districts over sexual education, a state Board of Education member is seeking a wider federal probe over Michigan’s policies.

Board member Nikki Snyder, R-Whitmore Lake, sent a letter to the federal agency on Monday, claiming that Michigan is prioritizing “indoctrination of students” over improving test scores.

“Public schools are not a space for evangelism or gender transitioning,” Snyder wrote.

Snyder’s letter alleges the state is violating state and federal law about parental rights with health education standards guidelines that were approved in November over objections from Snyder and fellow Republican board member Tom McMillin.

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The new policy recommends students be taught about gender identity and sexual orientation. Students are required to take health class to graduate high school but can opt out of sex education with no penalty.

Snyder told Bridge she believes the Department of Education is violating state law by including gender identity as a topic in health class, rather than sex education.

She said guidance from the state goes against a Supreme Court ruling and an executive order from President Donald Trump that defined “two sexes, male and female.”

In the letter, she likened the state Department of Education to mobsters, writing that “districts must either get-in-line or face financial pain.”

The letter includes attachments of the health education standards guidelines, a 2016 state guidance document about supporting LGBTQ students and a resolution Snyder has provided to local districts opposing the new standards.

“We must hold a rogue, unelected, unaccountable and socially progressive organization like the (Department of Education) in check,” Snyder said in a statement.

The state education agency referred Bridge to its comments last week about the other DOJ investigations and said it “has not heard directly from the Department of Justice.”

In the statement last week, State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said “local school boards set health curriculum with input from local sex education advisory boards.”

“Local control remains in place. Parents retain the right to decide whether their children should participate in sex education instruction,” Maleyko said.

Maleyko said at the time the DOJ falsely labeled the health education standards guidelines as requirements.

The Department of Justice declined to comment.

This is not the first time the state education department’s efforts related to LGBTQ students have come under scrutiny.

During the 2022 election, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer criticized state training videos for schools that advised educators that it’s sometimes OK to not tell parents about their children’s gender identity.

There has also been scrutiny on how school districts include transgender students in bathroom or sporting policies.

Last week, the Department of Justice announced it was opening investigations into Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lansing School District and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools near Grand Rapids.

The probe focuses on if these districts “have included sexual orientation and gender ideology” content in PreK-12 classes.

Maleyko said the request for a wide range of materials “risk(s) diverting time and resources away from the core mission of educating students.”

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