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Rachael Hein made the bold move to relocate her family from New Mexico to Missouri after learning about a local high school’s gender-inclusive “closet” and other controversial ideas.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Hein explained how she discovered what she called “the transgender closet” at Las Cruces Centennial High School where her daughter attended.
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“There’s the transgender closet, which really was the last straw. I think we saw that pop up on Facebook, and I looked into it because I’m not one that’s like ‘oh, it’s on Facebook. It’s truth.’ I went on Google and I see this. Yeah. Las Cruces, New Mexico, Centennial High School transgender closet. They were approved for this grant,” Hein said.
She added, “And I thought, no, enough is enough. We’re not going to subject our daughter to that. I don’t want my kids who knows what hearing different messages pushed by counselors or teachers within a setting that I don’t have ears in. I do know some teachers, but it doesn’t mean that my kids will always have a trusted teacher that’s unbiased or not pushing that agenda.”
Rachael Hein called the addition of “gender-inclusive closets” a breaking point.(iStock)
A COALITION OF STATES CALL ON THE SUPREME COURT TO RECOGNIZE PARENTS’ RIGHTS REGARDING TRANSGENDER POLICIES
The It Gets Better organization previously gave the high school a grant in 2022 to “[b]uild a gender-inclusive closet providing affirming supplies and clothes for trans and gender non-conforming students.”
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Hein explained that the gender-inclusive closets came after years of frustration with the public education system. Beginning with the pandemic, she became more involved with her four children’s education, alternating between homeschooling and online learning. Once her kids returned to school, she began paying greater attention to their education.
One initiative she took issue with included the school district’s addition of 10 extra school days to the 2022-2023 calendar to make up for the pandemic shutdowns. Hein and other parents were frustrated with the decision, referring to them as “party days” where there was no real schoolwork.
When defending the extra days during a town hall meeting, New Mexico Public Education Department’s Deputy Secretary for Teaching, Learning & Assessment, Gwen Warniment, also said that kids needed to spend “more time with the adults who matter” and that “the adults who matter are the teachers in their classrooms.”
Hein called her move to Missouri a “positive change” for her kids.(Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Hein added that the school boards did not respond to their complaints and were not helpful after voting in favor of the extra days.
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“It felt like [school boards] heard you, but they really weren’t listening. They would say the platitude of ‘I hear your concerns and I might be concerned about that too.’ But really, they were just on their own path, their own trajectory, and didn’t really matter. What community members said didn’t really matter what students or teachers even wanted,” Hein said.
By contrast, Hein complimented Missouri for the schools and community being more open to parents and her younger children.
SEATTLE MOMS SAY CHILDREN ‘DO NOT HAVE TO BE VICTIMS’ OF WOKE CULTURE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“It’s been completely different for us here. I’m not saying that it’s not going to be coming this way, or there aren’t certain districts that are moving in that same direction. But I think there’s a lot more willingness to listen to parents and teachers and students in this area than there were in New Mexico,” she said.
Hein added, “It’s been a positive change, for sure. Very different here in the sense that the neighborhood we’re in. My kiddos can just go out and play with neighbors and it’s safe. It’s just very much more of a togetherness.”
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She noted that she still knows some parents and teachers who have remained at the Las Cruces schools.
The It Gets Better nonprofit organization gave Las Cruces Centennial High School a grant to build a gender-inclusive closet.(Screenshot/Photo by Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
“I would really encourage them to be involved. Volunteer, go to school board meetings. I knew teachers, people who love their kids in Las Cruces, but they wouldn’t set a foot within the school board meetings. And it’s sad because that’s the only way you’re going to see change is if you are a voice instead of just someone sitting disgruntled in the background,” Hein said.
“It’s going to impact the future generation, and there’s going to be so much confusion if we’re not willing to stand and say, no, enough is enough. This is not what we want within our schools. And it’s not about hate. It’s not about wanting to keep others out. It’s about using school for the purpose that it’s intended,” she concluded.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Las Cruces Centennial High School for a comment but has yet to receive a response.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We’re in for a much better Tuesday, after all of the recent wet weather. High pressure is bringing us sunshine and comfortable temperatures today, but don’t get too used to it—rain and storms are heading back our way by Wednesday night, and we’re tracking a flooding threat heading into the weekend.
Today:
Finally, a day to enjoy! High pressure is firmly in control, giving us plenty of sunshine and comfortable conditions.
Highs today will be pleasant, ranging from the mid-70s across northern Indiana to around 80 degrees in the south.
Tonight:
Clear skies continue with lows dropping into the mid-50s to lower 60s.
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Wednesday:
Another nice day as high pressure continues to dominate. We’ll see plenty of sunshine with highs climbing into the low to mid-80s. Humidity will remain low, making it feel comfortable despite the warmer temperatures.
Wednesday Night into Thursday: Heavy Rain Threat
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop Wednesday night as moisture increases significantly. There will be much more moisture in the atmosphere by the evening hours, which opens the door for heavy downpours overnight.
Thursday should be mostly dry during the day as weak ridging builds in behind the overnight activity. However, another round of storms could develop late Thursday ahead of a warm front moving in.
Thursday Night through the Weekend: More Heavy Rain
A storm system will move through Thursday night, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Rainfall totals could exceed 2 inches in many locations, raising flash flooding concerns.
The big concern is training storms. When storms repeatedly move over the same areas, rainfall totals can quickly add up, leading to localized ponding and minor flooding. Low-lying areas, poor drainage spots, and areas near creeks and streams will be most vulnerable.
Sunday and Beyond: Heat and Humidity Return
Rain and storms will finally push northeast of the area by Sunday, giving us a break. But the break from rain comes with a price—heat and humidity.
By Sunday, high humidity and southerly breezes will boost afternoon temperatures near 90 degrees. Heat indices could approach mid- to upper 90sby early next week.
(WAND) – The National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes touched down in central Illinois during Sunday’s storms.
The tornado count for the WAND viewing area, which does not include all of central Illinois, is now at 61 as of June 22.
For reference, the area averages 20 tornadoes annually.
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The NWS confirmed an EF-1 east of Neoga in Cumberland County, along with EF-0 tornadoes southwest of Stewardson in Shelby County and northeast of Toledo, also in Cumberland County.
Additionally, the NWS office in St. Louis confirmed two EF-0 tornadoes south of Shobonier in far southern Fayette County.
