Reformist candidate in the 29th House District Jeff Coleman used an analogy from the film "The Godfather" to describe his feelings on reports of a Naperville 203 school teacher’s gender identity instruction regarding transgender males.
Coleman said the controversy brings to mind a scene from the film when Virgil Sollozzo, a Tattaglia family associate played by Al Lettieri, requests assistance from Don Vito Corleone in a legendary performance by Marlon Brando.
“Sollozo came to the office to ask for support politically and monetarily for his heroin (business),” Coleman told DuPage Policy Journal. “So what The Godfather told him was to respectfully decline, whereas raises. And after he did that, he told him he congratulated on his future success. But he said, just as long as your interest doesn't conflict with mine.”
"I wanted to really stay away from social issues, but we all have to protect our kids," Coleman said. "We have to draw a line in the sand when it comes to protecting our kids. Listen, I don't care about what you do over there or over there, just as long as your interests don't conflict with mine, and now you just conflicted with mine.
“So now it's a distraction or what the district is. Let kids be kids; let them develop their own sexuality without being influenced.
“We have to put common sense first. It's not a left or right thing. It's a right thing. It ain't a wrong or a right thing, it's just a right thing. I don't think our most vulnerable citizens who aren't even, who have not even identified themselves. The compromise by the will of idiots, because if common sense is out the door you can't protect the most vulnerable.”
Coleman said the conflict of personal interests in schools as displayed in Naperville 203 is much the same.
His comments come after third-grade teacher Nick Cosme was outed for his classroom behavior.
According to sources, Cosme, 25, requested his new students to declare their "pronouns," implying that the boys in his class might request that he refer to them as "she" rather than "he."
Cosme read to the class as well "My Shadow Is Pink,” a book about a boy who “likes princesses, fairies and things 'not for boys.'”
In the narrative, a little child who adores is encouraged by his father who follows suit. In one chapter of the book, the hulking father with a mustache is shown holding his son's collar while wearing a dress and consoling him over his reluctance to wear a dress to school.
“So put on that dress, and get back to school. If someone won’t like you then they are the fool,” the passage reads.
Naperville 203 sent an email to parents regarding the article, noting it "is filled with significant inaccuracies and should not be considered credible." The email failed to point out the flaws in the piece. In an earlier email, the school district's spokesman noted the school backed Cosme's classroom material and behavior.
Amid the tension, District 21 state Senate candidate Kathleen Murray also spoke out on the issue.
“Illinois public schools are falling behind in national rankings yet instead of focusing on education to create contributing members of society, institutions like Naperville District 203 and Elmwood Elementary are encouraging topics of a sexual nature in the classroom at an inappropriate age,” Murray said in an email to DuPage Policy Journal. “Sex needs to stay out of the classroom and teachers should not be permitted to groom or push their agendas on students.”
Others, such as GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, have come out against unnecessary discussions on sex and gender identity with young children in classroom settings.
Coleman is a noted supporter of Bailey.
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