Texas School Board Candidates Push Far-Right Policies, Book Bans

Controversial School Board Candidates Emerge in Texas

In Texas, a number of school board candidates are advocating for policies viewed as far-right, such as book bans and discrimination against LGBTQ students.

Traditionally, school boards focus on administrative tasks like managing bus schedules and budgets. However, recent years have seen these boards become battlegrounds for social issues, partly due to discontent over COVID-19 and political discourse on transgender rights.

Moms for Liberty, a conservative group with an interest in these issues, has been active in getting its members elected to school boards nationwide. The Southern Poverty Law Center designated Moms for Liberty as a hate group in June 2023.

Michael Bergsma, a supporter of Moms for Liberty, is running for a seat in the Corpus Christi Independent School District. His campaign website cites his roles as treasurer of Bible in the Public Schools and chairman of the Nueces County Republican Party. Bergsma has posted derogatory comments about LGBTQ individuals on Facebook, including a 2013 post where he reacted to a news story about a gay couple with, “This is the future.” In 2023, he criticized former President Barack Obama’s stance on LGBTQ-themed books in schools as “disgusting.” Bergsma did not provide comments for this article.

Another candidate, Samuel Fryer, shares similar views. Fryer is affiliated with Citizens Defending Freedom, a group advocating for LGBTQ book bans. In July 2022, Fryer attempted to dissuade protesting teachers by quoting scripture, according to a report.

Gerald Prater, aiming for the Leander Independent School District, has been explicit in his opposition to LGBTQ content in schools. In June 2023, he declared at a district meeting that such content was “criminal,” stating, “I think you’re causing harm to my children and other children with some of the stuff you’re exposing them to.” Prater’s campaign is supported by Moms for Liberty.

Brandi Burkman, also a candidate for the Leander Independent School District, addressed the issue of “obscene book selections.” She told a local high school newspaper in 2023 that she withdrew her daughter from middle school over a lesson involving Black Lives Matter. In 2022, Burkman shared a Facebook post that perpetuated a hoax about schools accommodating students identifying as animals. Burkman is endorsed by Moms for America, which shares goals with Moms for Liberty. She did not respond to inquiries.

Jim Sneeringer, another candidate for Leander ISD, has promoted theories suggesting the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.

Minerva Peña is seeking to reclaim her position on the Brownsville Independent School District board, which she held from 2008 to 2023. Peña has expressed her political views on social media, criticizing a White House pride event and advocating for prayer and Bible reading in schools.