Barbara Brunelle

As an proud hard-working educator for 43 years, I strongly oppose the CHARLIE Act because it undermines academic freedom, harms students, and replaces professional teaching with fear-driven censorship. Teachers do not “indoctrinate” students; we teach them how to think, not what to think. Requiring that any discussion of LGBTQ+ identities avoid being seen as “ethical or normative” effectively tells students who identify as LGBTQ+ that their existence is morally suspect. Public schools serve all students. Creating policies that single out one group of students as unworthy of basic affirmation directly contradicts our responsibility to provide a safe, inclusive learning environment. Likewise, forcing teachers to present complex topics like critical race theory only through a state-mandated ideological lens is not education—it is political interference that strips students of the opportunity to think critically and engage with multiple perspectives. The bill also creates a chilling effect by allowing individuals to sue educators, encouraging silence rather than thoughtful discussion. Teachers will avoid important, standards-aligned topics out of fear of litigation, weakening the quality of public education. By exempting private schools, colleges, and homeschooling, the bill unfairly limits only public-school students—often those with the fewest alternatives. Public education should foster inquiry, empathy, and civic understanding, not impose ideological restrictions that undermine students, teachers, and democratic values.