Another rogue school board? Perhaps.

“If you consider that adults’ No. 1 fear is public speaking (death is seventh on that list), then a citizen who has summoned the courage to address the board certainly deserves the board’s full attention and respect. This is especially important when you do not agree with that person’s perspective.” – “Five rules to follow for great school board meetings,” by Steve Horton, school board services consultant

Fox and Yahoo News recently reported on Oklahoma middle school families who are alarmed over their daughters sharing a bathroom with a transgender student.

The Stillwater (Oklahoma) School Board, at their April 12, 2022 meeting, received public input on the issue. Speakers were given 3:00 minutes – except Brice Chaffin, whose input was too religious for the board. At about 56 seconds in the board President interrupted, saying that Brice was supposed to be speaking to the bathroom policy; then later (about 1:44) tells him to either get on topic or move on. The board stopped Chaffin while he still had about a minute of time left, including cutting the mic so he could not be heard. Chaffin left without incident, though Stillwater PD escorted him from the podium. A community member can fill out form BED-E, requesting to address the board of education. The board stopped him from addressing them, because his references to Scriptures offended them, while claiming this was “off topic.”

The Stillwater News Press explained the incident this way:

Brice Chaffin is removed from the Stillwater Board of Education meeting Tuesday for continuing to recite Bible verses after being asked to confine himself to the topic he signed up to discuss.

One might argue that Brice Chaffin could have done a better job arranging his address to the school board. On reflection, he might well agree. However, what the Bible says about any issue is “on topic” for the Christian. Are men and women different? Why does it matter whether a biological male uses the girls’ bathroom? “The Bible tells me so.” It appears, had Chaffin been allowed to finish, that he concludes that physical, natural, and moral law all address the topic of biology, sex, and which bathroom to use! The incident, how it played out, and its consequences, (and body language as well), display the obvious bias of the Stillwater school board against Christians being informed on this topic by the book of their faith, the Bible.

The Bereans “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

You can watch the entire April 12, 2022 School Board Meeting of Stillwater (Oklahoma) Public Schools in context HERE (Chaffin speaking starts about 1:04:24) or cut to a YouTube clip that includes only that portion of the meeting HERE.

In a more recent meeting, unwilling to make a decision, the Stillwater School Board punted their duty of oversight to the state.