GMSD responds to rumors spread amongst district parents

GERMANTOWN, Tenn. (WMC) - A series of rumors have been spreading among Germantown Schools parents, and the district is speaking out to denounce them.

One of the allegations against the Germantown Municipal School District (GMSD) is that elementary students had access to pornography through an app.

The app called “Epic!” was a non-GMSD application that allowed access to a virtual library.

In a recent letter to parents, the board said the app was removed after concerns about age-appropriate material.

“Concerns were brought to us by a few,” said Betsy Landers, GMSD Board Member. “We immediately addressed them. In fact, we have been complimented on the fact that we were as sensitive and acted as quickly as we did.”

GMSD Superintendent Jason Manuel quickly added to Landers’ statement.

“But those were not regarding porn. We do have a very complex filtering system, with the programs we have. This is a lie that is being told out there. At no time were students exposed to pornographic material through an application,” said Manuel. “That is a lie, and that is also an accusation of a crime.”

These comments from Landers and Manuel on the rumors were made during a recent GMSD Board Work Session.

GMSD addressed other concerns during the work session, like rumors that instructors were teaching students critical race theory and promoting gender ideologies, which would be violations of state law.

Board members say those rumors are also false.

“It disgusts me because I know we have a lot of safeguards in place,” said Brian Curry, GMSD Board Member. “I have no words for a lot of the things I’m hearing.”

“To mischaracterize to the extent that they have, so many of the things that we do right in this school system has hurt me, and I am horrified,” Landers said.

Since the rumors came to light, some parents have come out in support of the district on social media, denouncing the rumors.

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