Manchester school staff asked not to share DEI training materials in wake of controversy

A Manchester school official is asking district staff to refrain from sharing any Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training materials with students or 'external parties' after a packet on microaggressions and a 'Wheel of Power and Privilege' distributed to students at a local middle school elicited strong reactions on social media over the weekend.
State Sen. Victoria Sullivan, R-Manchester, has gone so far to suggest the wheel — on which students were asked to circle categorizations they identified with — violated state law.
As first reported by the Union Leader over the weekend, eighth graders in a class at Henry J. McLaughlin Middle School brought home a packet last Thursday titled 'Cultural Fluency 2.0: Microaggressions,' distributed by Grade 8 language arts teacher Jennifer Doucette.
The packet was distributed in connection with a unit on the Holocaust. School officials said the packet contained some materials intended only for staff development.
Microaggressions are defined by Merriam-Webster as 'a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority).'
On Friday, the district issued a statement saying it is 'aware of social media posts regarding a classroom lesson in one of our schools.' The district said officials had reviewed the matter with the building principal, but couldn't address personnel matters directly.
'We understand that this topic can create reactions and conversations within our classrooms,' the statement said. 'In this isolated incident, students were asked to complete an anonymous self-reflection form to explore their understanding of self to text within the unit. Unfortunately, materials intended only for staff professional development were used for this anonymous student self-reflection.'
McLaughlin Middle School
Materials used in an eighth grade lesson on the Holocaust at McLaughlin Middle School in Manchester has set off a storm of controversy among parents.
Don't share
As word of the packet spread last Friday, Amadou Hamady — executive director of Student Engagement, Outcomes and Success for the Manchester School District — sent staff an email alerting them to a situation requiring 'immediate care and discretion' regarding Cultural Fluency training PowerPoint slides that were shared with students as part of a class assignment.
'Unfortunately, it appears the slides were then shared beyond the student's use, possibly reaching individuals outside the school community and even the local press,' the email says. 'Given the current political climate and heightened scrutiny around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, we are again reminding all staff to refrain from sharing any training materials, especially presentation slides, surveys, facilitator guides, or discussion content with students or external parties.
'These resources were designed strictly for internal staff development purposes.'
Political reaction
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, on Monday said Republicans are "shocked but not surprised that the Manchester School District is trying to hide its curriculum from public view."
"This newest incident is yet another example of their disdain for parents who inquire about their own children," said Osbourne. "It is clear, the only DEI that the Manchester School District is focused on is disdain, exclusion, and intimidation against parents and students."
Osborne said the situation highlights the need for the state's Education Freedom Accounts.
"Transparency is of the utmost importance, and if Manchester Schools are refusing to provide that, then parents deserve the ability to send their student to another school that will,' Osborne said.
'Offered for reflection'
The packet shared with students contained a list of examples 'offered for reflection' of possible microaggressions, such as failing to learn to pronounce or continuing to mispronounce the names of students after they have corrected you; using the terms 'illegals' to reference undocumented students, or continuing to misuse pronouns after a student — transgender or not — indicates their preferred gender pronoun.
The packet also contained a 'Wheel of Power and Privilege,' listing cultural identifiers — such as White, middle-class or citizen — and the degree of power and privilege associated with each. It listed categories including skin color, sexuality, ability, citizenship, neurodiversity, body size, housing, wealth, and gender identity (options there were trans non-binary, female identified, male identified).
Students could circle cultural identifiers on the wheel they felt matched up with them, and learn what category the wheel places them in: most power, marginalized or most marginalized.
'We want to be clear that there was never a survey completed as part of this lesson or unit,' school officials said in a statement. 'The district team has taken steps so this action is not repeated."
But in an email to Manchester Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel and Mayor Jay Ruais, Sen. Sullivan says referring to the wheel as a non-academic survey is 'incorrect.'
'This document was designed to elicit information,' she wrote.
Sullivan said state law requires school districts to notify a parent or legal guardian of a non-academic survey or questionnaire and its purpose.
'Per this RSA, that was in fact a survey that violated state law,' Sullivan wrote.
Social media responds
News of the packet and wheel sparked more than 200 responses via email and social media.
Colleen Smith wrote, 'This is EXACTLY why we choose private school for our children. This BS 'micro aggression' is not being taught in their school and should not be taught. Instead of focusing on gender, body size, and sexuality, the schools should focus on academics so our students can actually exceed in reading, writing, and math.'
Sandy Hamilton wrote, 'Oh no! Teaching children to have self awareness and have openness to see other's perspectives? Horrors!'
State Rep. Erin Kerwin, D-Manchester, wrote, 'I believe that learning about microaggressions and understanding the experiences of people from different backgrounds is an important and necessary part of education today. We live in a multicultural world, and helping students develop empathy, awareness, and the ability to appreciate different perspectives is essential if we want to build a more inclusive, united community.'
Former Manchester school board member Ken Tassey Jr. called the situation 'disgraceful.'
'The excuse that these materials were meant for staff training is an admission of guilt: it is worse than the crime of overtly putting it on the kids' desks,' Tassey wrote. 'It means there was intent to train teachers on divisive Critical Theory under the guise of a sweet-smelling title, and then drip-market it to our students in a way that circumvents parental consent and compliance with new federal law. Get the Marxists out of our schools.'
pfeely@unionleader.com

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