'They bully silence': Elementary teacher takes on state union over parental rights ballot measure
A Washington state elementary school teacher and local union representative is fighting the statewide teachers union, accusing leaders of being driven by "activists" and opposing ballot measures he says would restore trust between parents and schools.
"I don't feel like the union represents me, and I don't know that they really represent our teachers as best as they should," Travis Reep told Fox News Digital. "What typically happens, especially at the local and even at the regional and state level, is you find people who are activists who have an ax to grind, if you will."
Reep, a fifth-grade teacher in the North Thurston School District near Olympia and a local union representative for the North Thurston Education Association, is pushing back on the Washington Education Association’s opposition to parental rights measures expected on the November 2026 ballot.
The initiatives, backed by Let’s Go Washington, would restore the original 2024 Parental Bill of Rights and bar biological boys from competing in girls’ sports, according to the group.
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The parental rights measure would require schools to provide parents with requested records and information about their children, according to Reep.
"Basically, what that ensures is that if a parent asks for any documentation or information or records regarding their child, that the school provides those, and that the school does not actively hide that information," he said.
Reep said under current state school rules, even kindergarten students can ask to use a different name or pronouns at school, and teachers are generally expected to not tell parents if they do not have the students' permission, unless required by law. He believes parents should be informed to make those decisions themselves.
The Washington Education Association board opposes both measures and has joined advocacy group Washington Families for Freedom in campaigning against what the group calls "dangerous" "anti-school initiatives."
Opponents say the parental rights measure could force educators to "out" LGBTQ students, increasing risks such as abuse, mental health crises and homelessness. They also argue the girls' sports initiative could lead to invasive exams.
Reep says those claims rely on worst-case scenarios and misrepresent what the measures would do. He notes sports physicals are already required and says educators should not be deciding a student’s gender identity, but parents should be kept informed. He adds that many teachers privately agree yet stay quiet out of fear of being labeled bigoted.
"I truly believe that I think most teachers are afraid to speak out, because it's against what the far left really wants," he said. "They bully silence. If you don't agree, then just keep quiet. Don't say anything, don't say you disagree with us, because if you do, then you're homophobic, or you're a bigot."
"We need to provide parents with as much information as we have so that they can make the best choices and decisions for their family and for their child," Reep added. "And we need to not be advocating one way or the other as to what they should do. That's not ultimately our choice."
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He believes most parents want what is best for their children and schools should partner with them instead of hiding information from them. He pointed out that educators are also required to intervene when abuse is suspected, under existing mandatory reporting laws.
Reep said the divide is deepest around gender identity issues, which he believes some educators treat as a moral litmus test.
"I just think that there's just this big rift between [regular teachers] and teachers who are activists in the classroom, who feel like their activism is justified because they see it as a social justice issue," he said. "They see [the gender identity issue] as a civil rights movement issue and if you dare speak against it, then you are on the wrong side of history, and you are hurting your students and somehow a bad person."
Since speaking publicly in an interview with Let's Go Washington, Reep said he has been surprised by the positive comments he's received from parents and educators online and in his district.
"And as I go around in my district and people recognize me, they'll come up and say, ‘Hey, thank you for doing that interview. That takes a lot of bravery. I could never do that,’" he said.
The Washington Education Association did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.