Yearbooks are all about capturing memories, but a Barrie elementary school’s recently distributed 2023-24 book has created some for all the wrong reasons, according to some parents.
The Ferndale Woods Elementary School yearbook was distributed to approximately 150 students early this fall and contained a page that included 24 different Pride-related flags — LGBT Pride, Progress Pride, Bisexual Pride and Gay Men Pride.
The page also contained flags celebrating Polyamory Pride, Bear Brotherhood, BDSM Rights (which, according to Urban Dictionary, means a physical, psychological and usually sexual power-role-play with consensual participants), Leather Pride and Rubber Pride — all of which have created “shock” among some Ferndale Woods parents, leaving them to wonder how the page was even approved prior to publication.
“Kids were sent home with a yearbook that had ally groups for LGBTQ … This is something we have come to accept as normal now. What was not normal was that the groups listed included BDSM rights, Bear Brotherhood, Leather Pride and Rubber Pride,” parent Jason Duck told BarrieToday.
"(It’s) shocking, to say the least, in an elementary school yearbook. We are hurt and angry as parents that such recklessness could happen. How many kids were asking their parents what BDSM is or simply Googling it? Truly unacceptable," he added.
Duck said he spoke with a secretary at the Simcoe County District School Board head office on Wednesday and was advised the board is recalling the yearbook. However, he said he was unable to find out who reviews yearbooks prior to publication.
Sarah Kekewich, manager of communications for the board, said yearbooks are developed and approved at the school level.
"Oftentimes, the school will establish a committee of students, staff and administrators responsible for content, editing and review," she said.
"A specific board policy that addresses the development and approval of school yearbooks currently does not exist; however, as a result of this situation, we will be reviewing processes related to the development of these types of materials."
A letter from the school was sent to all families on Wednesday (Dec. 11) acknowledging the error in including a few of the images.
“Regrettably, content included in the school yearbook that was intended to demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity has been identified as inappropriate,” stated the letter, a copy of which was provided to BarrieToday on Wednesday. “We apologize for the harm and confusion this has caused, and we thank families who came forward to share their concerns.”
School principal Angela Pino told BarrieToday the school has requested all copies of the yearbook be returned so they can be replaced with a revised version.
“In our correspondence with families, we reiterated our commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment where all members of our school community feel a sense of belonging,” she said. “We acknowledged that, regrettably, an image included in the yearbook that was intended to demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity was inappropriate.
"We apologized to families for the harm and confusion this has caused.”
