BOE Focus Group Moderator Participated in Drag Queen Story Time Panel
On January 17th and 18th, parents, staff members, and community group leaders participated in the Board of Education (BOE) Communications Committee focus groups. As we previously reported, these meetings were facilitated by the partisan and controversial group -- the Connecticut Association of Board of Education (CABE) -- of which BOE Chairperson Jill McCammon is listed as an Area 6 CABE Director.
The moderator for all sessions was Executive Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy. She told participants that her final report would be circulated with the Administration and the BOE, but there were no guarantees it would be shared with the public or even focus group participants. According to multiple participants, Ms. McCarthy was professional and took notes only occasionally during the conversations. However, we believe it is important to note that her final analysis might not be entirely fair and balanced given her past panel participation, lobbying efforts, and statements.
In October 2023, Ms. McCarthy was a member of the Pantalena Law Library's drag story time panel "in honor of banned books week." Pictured below in the blue blazer is Ms. McCarthy alongside two panelists dressed in drag. Books displayed behind the panel include The 57 Bus, This Book is Gay, Flamer, and Gender Queer -- all of which we've highlighted on our site.
Ms. McCarthy is seemingly a strong proponent of DEI- and SEL-based curriculum and has even spent time in Washington D.C. lobbying Congress on these issues. She has attended the National School Boards Association's annual Equity Symposium (see page 9 here). Per theIr monthly Journal publication, CABE also works with Marc Brackett at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Mr. Brackett is the creator of the RULER program which is used extensively in Darien Public Schools under the guise of SEL.
Additionally, Ms. McCarthy hosted an April 2023 Zoom webinar titled "As Book Bans Escalate, Here’s What You Need to Know." During her opening remarks (3:41) she states after describing "book banning" efforts across states: "This is clearly having a chilling effect as reported by many librarians and they are actually cutting their purchases because of concern about the level of scrutiny that any purchase will be given."
Given the controversies in Darien Public Schools around inappropriate curriculum and school library content along with concerns around the role of SEL and DEI-based curriculum, why would the BOE Communications Committee enlist a moderator who may have a potential bias in her views? It seems that Ms. McCarthy is a strong proponent of many of these contentious topics. Why did the BOE Communication Committee not seek a more neutral person to complete this important task?
