The community comments portion of the January 22 Cumberland County School Board meeting was tense and lengthy, primarily driven by concerns over the Family Life Education policy and an alleged prior violation at Cumberland County High School (CCHS). Several parents and speakers signed up to address the board, but the chair strictly enforced rules limiting comments to agenda-relevant topics and prohibiting discussion of specific personnel matters (such as naming teachers or delving into individual disciplinary actions).

One speaker, Callie Dibkowski, criticized the board’s strategic planning and transparency, arguing that removing items from the agenda without sufficient public notice prevented parents from speaking on issues concerning their children. She emphasized that the board works for the community and should listen to parents to avoid escalating tensions.

The most prominent and contentious speaker was Attorney Will Mullins from Rickman, who represented affected parents (including those connected to Brittany Seymour, who delegated time to him). Mullins addressed the board’s proposed adoption of a family life education curriculum/policy under Tennessee law.

He argued that:

• State code requires a community meeting and a public opportunity to review and comment on topics before adopting such a curriculum.
• Parents have a right to know in advance what will be discussed with their children.
• No prior formal policy appeared to exist for family life instruction in the district, raising questions about how/why such content was previously taught without proper notification or oversight.
• A specific incident occurred in which a teacher allegedly engaged students in discussions related to family life without providing the required 30-day parental notice and written consent.
• The disciplinary process for such violations should involve a formal investigation by the Director of Schools, a report to the board, and board action on any recommendations—yet parents were concerned about transparency and accountability, especially given claims that the board’s own policies might conflict with state law requiring board involvement in teacher discipline for these matters.

The chair repeatedly issued points of order, halting Mullins when remarks veered toward personnel specifics (e.g., naming the teacher or suspension details), citing board policy against discussing individual employees. Mullins pushed back, asserting First Amendment rights, violations of state law by the board in restricting speech, and the agenda’s inclusion of family life education as making the topic fair game for public input. He described parents as upset over the lack of prior awareness, the handling of the incident, and potential inequities in discipline.

Ultimately, the chair allowed Mullins limited time to speak on the policy item but redirected or ended remarks deemed off-topic or personnel-focused. Other community speakers were largely not permitted if their comments did not tie directly to the agenda, with one redirected to child safety (another topic). The exchange highlighted frustrations over parental rights, policy adoption procedures, transparency in curriculum decisions, and the board’s enforcement of speaking rules amid an emotionally charged issue.

This controversy stemmed from an incident at CCHS involving art teacher David Wilcox, who assigned a “Ring of Culture Diagram” activity prompting students to share details, including sexual orientation and gender identity. The district investigated, resulting in a two-day unpaid suspension for violating parental notification/consent requirements under state law and breaching professional ethics.

The board proceeded with policy discussions but did not resolve or vote on specific disciplinary outcomes during the public session.