Several parents of students enrolled in a Canadian school pulled their children out of class Friday after hearing about a gender identity presentation that took place last week.
As it turns out, the presentation to seventh through ninth graders (ages 12 to 15) at Oyster Pond Academy was given in part by Teo Ferguson, a non-binary drag queen with many risqué photos on their social media profile.
According to their Facebook profile, Ferguson also works as a creative programming facilitator at The Youth Project, a nonprofit organization that provides support to youth struggling with their gender identity or sexual orientation.
The presentation covered topics related to sexual orientation, gender identity and relationships. Ferguson told DailyMail.com that children were taught how queer-identifying people could express their gender.
While some parents of children at the Nova Scotia school were outraged by the content of the presentation, it is understood others were furious when they found out the presenter is a drag queen in their spare time.
Teo Ferguson, in the photo, is a teacher and works at The Youth Project, but is also a drag queen
Ferguson told DailyMail.com that he attended the lecture on sexual orientation and gender identity at Oyster Pond Academy, photo
Ferguson told DailyMail.com that when parents discovered this, they attacked them on Facebook and sent direct messages condemning the behaviour.
Much of the outrage reportedly stems from the fact that Ferguson shared their drag account with an underage student.
Two of their profiles, one on Facebook and one on Instagram, contain images of Ferguson wearing scantily clad outfits while sitting in provocative poses.
Ferguson’s stage name is ‘Cookie Cunningham.’
The Halifax Regional Center for Education, where Oyster Pond Academy is located, acknowledged in a statement that this had happened CTV Newsalthough Ferguson was not specifically mentioned.
“One of the presenters shared his personal details on social media, prompting some students to view content intended for an adult audience,” the statement said.
Pictured: A flyer advertising a show in which Ferguson performed. Their stage name is Cookie Cunningham
Hollie Riggs was among the parents who chose to pick their child up from school that day.
“It went beyond what should be taught in the classroom,” Riggs told CTV News.
“It was the fact how much of it was discussed and what the kids had access to after the meeting,” she added, referring to the drag account shared by Ferguson.
In multiple social media posts and statements to DailyMail.com, Ferguson explained that they had accidentally given out details of their drag account.
“The reality is that a teacher was initially very excited to see me in class talking about gender, identity, and sexual orientation from 7th through 9th grade,” Ferguson originally wrote in a Facebook post.
‘Now groups 7 to 8 didn’t hear anything from my social media, but group 9 did because of the excitement of a teacher.’
Ferguson went on to explain that toward the end of the 9th grade presentation, another teacher and a student came to ask about their social media.
“At that point I made the error of judgment and gave my tow account information,” Ferguson told DailyMail.com, adding, “I didn’t physically show them my account at all.”
“I should also emphasize that I said at the beginning of all the presentations that all classes do not look for me on social media,” Ferguson also said.
Hollie Riggs and Greg Austin told CTV News they were against the presentation and felt blindsided by it. Austin claimed the students were not allowed to leave
Another parent, Greg Austin, told CTV News that students were not allowed to leave the presentation.
‘My son came home from school yesterday. He told me about the interactions he had with the influencer,” Austin said. “Especially for me as a parent, we had no idea that someone was going to come talk to our kids.”
Austin added that his son told him that others were uncomfortable with the lecture that was given.
“He saw that people were uncomfortable and that other people were asking to leave but they weren’t allowed to,” Austin said. ‘There was no other option.’
Lindsey Bunin, the communications officer at the Halifax Regional Center for Education, told DailyMail.com that students were “encouraged to attend the session based on content that aligned” with the Nova Scotia Department of Education’s health education curricula .
“If a student felt uncomfortable and did not want to stay with the presentation, he should have left,” Bunin added. “This has been discussed with administration and they have been instructed to respectfully excuse students in the future if they have concerns about a speaker’s presentation.”
After receiving complaints from parents, the school’s principal and vice principal sent a letter to parents explaining that they were legally required to follow the health education curricula.
The Halifax Regional Center for Education told students that Ferguson’s social media should not have been shared
Pictured: Teo Ferguson, who apologized for sharing his drag queen’s social media with some students
Curriculum documents available online for 8th grade outline some of the topics health educators should cover in the classroom.
Students will investigate methods to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. They will examine puberty, brain development and changing relationships as markers of the adolescence stage and how these relate to body image,” said the document, last updated in 2022.
Students will also be introduced to “Pornography, Consent, and Sexual Violence” and given advice on “how to seek help related to sexual and reproductive health issues.”
One parent told CTV News they had no problems with the presentation at school and said their child, who is struggling with his gender identity, found it helpful.
The Halifax Regional Center for Education also said administrators visited the ninth-grade class to discuss the aftermath and explain that the social media account should not have been shared.