For years, the City Schools of Decatur has been known as a liberal enclave, a place where everyone is accepted for who they are. But some community members are starting to question that status after a series of moves by school district leaders and the superintendent’s spouse.
Some were shocked to learn last week that Decatur Superintendent Gyimah Whitaker’s husband, Jason, hosts a podcast that espouses controversial views about Muslims and transgender people. On one episode, Whitaker described congregants of a mosque near his home.
“They can’t examine (their faith) and apply it in real time, so the best all they can do, without asking questions, being low IQ people, is to impersonate a sixth-century goat herder, which is crazy work,” he said.
On another episode, Jason Whitaker commented on a U.S. Senate hearing where transgender rights were being discussed.
“There is no such thing as trans men, trans women, other binary groups, or cis men, cis women, there’s no such thing,” he said. “Those are made up fairy tale terms. She might as well just said purple dinosaurs.”
Jason Whitaker owns Podium Studio, according to state records. The studio produces Gyimah Whitaker’s podcast “CSD Words with Dr. Whitaker.”
Several groups, including the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Georgia, the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights, Atlanta Multifaith Coalition for Palestine and the Decatur High School Muslim Student Association all called on Gyimah Whitaker to denounce her husband’s statements.
“In light of these revelations, the faith community and civil rights organizations also questioned Dr. Whitaker’s leadership, and are calling on the school board to investigate Dr. Whitaker for bias against marginalized groups and for possibly enriching her husband with taxpayer money,” CAIR Georgia said in a recent news release.
Whitaker hasn’t commented on her husband’s statements or on her use of his podcast studio to produce her district-related podcast. She did not respond to an interview request.
Several district employees and four out of five current school board members have recorded segments for Gyimah Whitaker’s podcast.
The podcast drama follows a tense tug-of-war over plans for a new early childhood learning center. The school board delayed a vote on the proposal during its most recent work session after opposition from residents. Decatur school board chair Carmen Sulton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in November that the district backed the center because of high demand for early learning from residents. However, at a meeting in May, officials said a survey showed out of 113 responses, just 25 favored the center.
Still, district leaders have avoided attempts to slow down the process. The tension grew so high that Decatur’s legislative delegation stepped in. State Sen. Elena Parent sponsored legislation, now signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, requiring the district to put the issue in front of voters before proceeding. The board wrote a letter to the governor urging him to veto the bill. Since the legislation became law, district leaders have tried to get around it by finding another way to pay for the project.
The school board has called a meeting on Thursday. Residents have planned a rally beforehand in part to demand “a full independent investigation into CSD financial practices and expenditures.”
A group of residents, frustrated by what they see as negligence in a district known for its inclusiveness, held a virtual news conference on Wednesday. Still some, like parent Lena Kotler, remained hopeful things can improve.
“We’re a district that was built on the promise of a community of openness, one with the bravery to be transparent and face hard and ugly truths together, one where every child is seen, protected, and given support to grow and thrive,” she said. “If we have drifted from that promise, then our job is not cynicism. Our job is rebuilding trust together.”
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