Distressing video footage has reemerged on social media of a 2022 presentation given by a Colorado father in which he recounts the story of his 12-year-old daughter’s suicide attempt, which he says happened after she joined a gender and sexuality club at school.
Speaking before the Poudre School District (PSD) board in Northern Colorado, the very emotional father told of how in 2021, his daughter asked if she could join an Anime art club at Wellington Middle School, run by an art teacher. He and his wife reluctantly gave permission, despite knowing that there was a lot of inappropriate anime, trusting that the district would provide a safe, age-appropriate environment for their child.
Just eight months later, his 12-year-old daughter attempted suicide, and he said not a single PSD reached out to the family to understand what in his daughter’s school environment may have contributed to her decision to end her life.
He explained it was only after talking to other parents who had had similarly horrifying experiences that he realised his family’s story was not an isolated incident, and that the anime art club was actually a gender and sexuality club.
His daughter said that students were told they didn’t have to tell their parents what was going on in the club, but the school later accused his daughter of lying about being told to keep the information a secret.
