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“The board voted just to tell the General Assembly, ‘No thanks, we’re not doing this,’” Griffin said.¹
Those words did not stay confined to a local forum for long.
Republican lawmakers quickly took notice and summoned Griffin and Superintendent Rodney Trice before the North Carolina House Oversight and Reform Committee to explain themselves.
Lawmakers Say District Played Games With the Law
The Parents’ Bill of Rights became law in August 2023 after the legislature overrode a veto from Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. The statute prohibits instruction on gender identity and sexuality for kindergarten through fourth grade and requires schools to notify parents if a student’s name or pronouns are changed.
But lawmakers say Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools deliberately watered down the law.
House Majority Leader Brenden Jones laid out the case during the hearing.
“You deleted parts of the Parent Bill of Rights you didn’t like for your public website,” Jones said. “You published a weak staff guidance memo instead of a formal board policy just so you could dodge accountability.”²
Jones made clear this was not accidental.
“This wasn’t passive resistance,” Jones added. “It was a coordinated middle finger to the legislature and to every parent in your district.”³
Graphic Books Take Center Stage
Jones then presented what he said were examples of materials recommended to young students in the district.
He displayed titles such as “Santa’s Husband,” which depicts “Mr. and Mr. Claus,” and “These Are My Eyes, This Is My Nose, This Is My Vulva, These Are My Toes,” which includes passages stating “some boys have a penis but not all boys do.”
Another book, “It Isn’t Rude to Be Nude,” features cartoon drawings of naked adults and was described as being rated for very young children.
Jones pressed Superintendent Trice directly.
“Do you think it’s appropriate for 4 year olds to be exposed to naked men and women and soft porn?” Jones asked.
Trice said he was unsure whether the books were actually recommended.
That answer did not sit well with lawmakers.
“You’re the superintendent,” Jones replied. “You’re not aware of what’s going on in your school system?”
Jones then tossed the book aside and called it “trash.”
Email Confirms Intentional Policy Omissions
Lawmakers later revealed an email Griffin sent to staff in February 2024 that appeared to confirm deliberate noncompliance.
In the message, Griffin acknowledged the board had adopted the Parents’ Bill of Rights as policy but intentionally excluded sections dealing with gender identity instruction and parental notification when names or pronouns are changed.⁴
In the same September video, Griffin defended the move.
“It was risky, it was out there, but we were trying to make a statement as well as protect our kids and our families,” Griffin said.⁵
Parents say the approach did the opposite.
One mother wrote to the board after discovering her child’s “chosen name” had appeared on an eighth grade diploma and in school records without her knowledge.
“As a parent of a trans-identified kid, I was shocked to find my child’s chosen name on their eighth grade diploma and on Power School,” she wrote. “We are supportive of our child and their exploration, but the school’s hyper affirmative approach actually places a wedge between parent and child.”⁶
Funding Threats Loom Large
Republicans warned that defying state law could have serious consequences.
Representative Jeff McNeely told Griffin and Trice that their actions could trigger tough legislative responses.
“Because of y’all, there’s going to be legislation that comes and it’s going to be pretty tough,” McNeely said. “Because we’re not going to put up with rogue school systems who have no money and will not comply with the laws of this state.”⁷
Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools receives the majority of its funding from the state. Trice acknowledged the district has just $300,000 left in its general fund as enrollment continues to drop.
Griffin later apologized for any “misunderstanding” his comments caused.
Lawmakers were unconvinced.
This was not confusion. The record shows a school board chair admitting on camera that his district voted to ignore the law. Emails confirm intentional omissions. Parents say they were left in the dark.
The only surprise appears to be that Griffin and his allies were finally held accountable.
Now, school boards across North Carolina are watching closely. The message from lawmakers is clear. No district is above the law, and parental rights are not optional.
