A Republican lawmaker confronted her son's teacher for suggesting that Leonardo da Vinci might have been gender fluid.
Colorado state Representative Brandi Bradley told Newsweek that she challenged the "rogue teacher" because she was concerned that her 15-year-old son's history teacher was "trying to indoctrinate the kids at the school."
Bradley posted an audio clip from a parent night at her son's school that shows her raising concerns about a movie that was shown in class and the answers that the teacher gave to students about the film's ideas.
Bradley began by telling the teacher that she was confused when her son came home from school asking about da Vinci being gender fluid and the Mona Lisa depicting the artist's feminine side. The teacher responded by explaining that those claims stemmed from a movie that the class watched—material she said was approved by the school district in Douglas County.
Newsweek reached out to the district via email for comment.
The teacher said that one of the kids in the other class had asked what the film meant by suggesting that the Mona Lisa was a self-portrait, to which the teacher explained that "The Renaissance was self-expression of these artists. They weren't limited or restricted by the church and what the church was dictating they do. They had the opportunity to create however they wanted and express themselves fully."
Mona Lisa's identity has been debated for centuries and the mystery has yet to be solved. Many historians believe the painting is a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, a Florentine woman who was married to a wealthy merchant. But in recent years, some scholars have presented the theory that da Vinci's most famous work is a self-portrait, comparing the painting to a virtual and physical reconstruction of his face.
In the audio clip, the teacher notes that while some have argued Mona Lisa was a real person, others have suggested that the painting is of the artist.
Bradley is then heard launching into a tirade about not wanting her son to know what gender fluidity is given their "very biblical worldview." She goes on to question whether or not her "Christian conservative son" could feel included in a classroom that displayed multiple LGBTQ+ flags.
"I'm a little concerned that this is the first week of school, and this is world history, and what's going to be taught to my child," Bradley said. "As a parent, I have that ability to question that."
The teacher said that she appreciated Bradley coming to her in a respectful manner that was out of view of the other parents, but that she accepts all of her students, regardless of their class or sexual orientation.
"When they come into this room, everybody is welcome," the teacher said. "Every voice is heard. However they are, I accept them."
Bradley and her husband are then heard asking the teacher to display a "Christian flag" or picture of Jesus Christ if the class was really inclusive to everybody. The teacher responded by saying that the LGBTQ+ flags in the classroom were not religious symbols.
On X, formerly Twitter, Bradley accused the teacher of being a "groomer." Some users on the social media platform applauded Bradley for taking charge, while others suggested that she took the wrong approach to express her concerns.
One user told her to escalate the issue by calling for a meeting with the principal and another said the "dangerous" issue needed to be raised at a school board meeting. But others said that she should have done that in the first place, accusing her of "ambushing" the teacher instead and being "more interested in the 'gotcha' then correction."
"You recorded the interaction so you could post it on here," one user wrote. "You're more interested in your political agenda than you are in your child's education. Your child is a prop for you to virtue signal."
Bradley pushed back on the criticism, saying if she wanted to ambush the teacher, she would have publicly posted the name of the teacher, the school and the district.
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