A newly hired music teacher at Middle Creek Elementary School in Wake County has become the target of a national anti-trans harassment campaign. But as anti-LGBTQ+ activists attempt to bully her out of a job — parents, coworkers and school board members are making it clear that the people attacking her do not speak for everyone in Wake County.
The campaign began after Republican state Rep. Erin Paré criticized the teacher’s hiring and suggested North Carolina might need legislation requiring “gender-appropriate professional attire” for public school employees. Libs of TikTok then amplified the story to its massive online following, circulating the teacher’s photograph and urging followers to protest the hiring with the school’s principal.
Operated by Chaya Raichik, Libs of TikTok has a well-documented history of targeting LGBTQ+ people and educators. Posts from the account have reportedly resulted in threats, harassment and doxxing against teachers and others. Raichik has also boasted that her posts led to teachers being fired and has encouraged followers to join school boards to remove teachers who teach about gender and sexuality.
The North Carolina Values Coalition has also joined the campaign against the Middle Creek teacher, arguing that a teacher’s presence as a nonbinary or trans person could prompt elementary students to ask questions about gender and pronouns. But schools are places for learning — including learning about language — and should be safe places for children to ask questions.
For Middle Creek parent Stephen Stacks, those questions were hardly a crisis. “My kids did have a question or two, and we had a good conversation about how sometimes people don’t feel at home in a box society creates,” Stacks said in an interview with WRAL. “It was that simple.”
Other Middle Creek parents have responded with similar support. Parent Elizabeth Stacks told the board she had seen “absolutely horrible things said” online about someone her children “already know and love.”
Support has also come from inside the Wake County Board of Education. Jennifer Job joined the board in 2025 after a career in education, including work as a teacher education professor, according to ABC11 and the Wake County Public School System.
Another board member, Lynn Edmonds, defended Middle Creek Principal Sarah Stephens and the hiring process. As reported by End Time Headlines, Edmonds said, “I have every confidence Dr. Stephens followed appropriate hiring procedure, and therefore, this teacher is qualified to teach in WCPSS.”
“I hope families and staff see this as an opportunity to learn about and discuss the diverse world we live in while welcoming a qualified educator to Middle Creek ES,” Edmonds continued.
As of mid-August, a hearing on the matter brought out parents and activists from both sides of the aisle, but the Wake county school board is standing by their decision to hire the teacher.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
