An Oklahoma school board and staff members came to the defense of elementary school principal and drag queen Shane Murnan at a school board meeting on Monday.
Murnan, the principal of John Glenn Elementary School, is a drag queen who goes by the name "Shantel Mandalay." Murnan also maintains a separate Facebook page for his drag queen persona, which showed he worked as a drag queen at a venue called "The Boom."
Another controversy surrounding Murnan is that he faced charges approximately 20 years ago for child pornography. The charges were later dismissed after it could not be proven that the images were of individuals under the age of 18.
Western Heights Public Schools held a board meeting where local residents and teachers could share their thoughts on the principal. While parents voiced their concerns, staff members praised Murnan and insisted that his drag queen experience does not affect his job.
"Teachers come to work smiling," John Glenn Elementary teacher Kily Keeling said, according to the Oklahoma Voice. "Students are happy. They are loved. They are cared for. They are supported, but most importantly because of his consistency, his visibility and his willingness to allow mistakes for the sake of growth, we are now thriving, and our students are learning."
Another teacher, Cassie Fedders, said, "I am living, walking, talking proof that there’s no reason to question his actions and behaviors with myself, or any other students."
Western Heights Board President Briana Flatley also noted that the board and district administrators were aware of Murnan’s background before hiring him and remained confident that he was appropriate for the school.
"I have children in my life, my godchildren, that are in this district who are at the elementary level," Flatley said. "If he’s not somebody I would put in front of them, that’s saying something."
Western Heights Public Schools’ agenda for Monday's meeting did not mention Murnan. Western Heights Public Schools did not respond for comment.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters spoke with FOX News Digital on Sept. 7 about these revelations and called for Murnan’s firing.
"It's outrageous to have a drag queen running a school, you know, here in Oklahoma that doesn't line up with Oklahoma values," Walters said. "I hear from parents every day that are concerned with this woke left-wing indoctrination or schools, this gender theory that continues to be thrust upon our kids. It's completely inappropriate."
In a June Facebook post, the district acknowledged the child pornography charges after hiring Murnan. It said, "Recently we were made aware of previous charges that were dismissed more than 20 years ago."
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"We are very excited about his vision for John Glenn and the community," the district added.
Hannah Grossman contributed to this article.
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