‘HiTOPS’ Nonprofit Sneaks Sexual and LGBTQ+ Curriculum into Schools, Admits Goal to Strip Parents of Opt-Out Rights
Key Points
Lisa Shelby, HiTOPS Executive Director: “There’s a mandate for racial justice and inclusivity… sometimes that’s how we get through.”
Hannah Wiers, HiTOPS Health Educator: “So … a note would get sent home and say... ‘next week we're talking about anatomy, or you know, gender identity.’ And a parent could send a form back saying, ‘you have to pull my child.’ And so… I think our real goal would be to make sure that that opt out doesn't exist.”
Hannah Wiers, HiTOPS Health Educator: “They all have school-issued…laptops… which can be nice because then they can send out…a google form. Like, remind me what name you like to be called. Remind me what pronouns you like to use.” Journalist: “So you send it directly… to the student, not the parent.” Wiers: “That’s what we encourage staff to do, yes."
[PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY] During conversations with an undercover Project Veritas journalist, employees of HiTOPS, a youth-focused LGBTQ+ and sexual education nonprofit, revealed covert tactics to introduce sexually-oriented curriculum into schools through backdoor channels without parental consent.
HiTOPS Executive Director, Lisa Shelby and Health Educator, Hannah Wiers confirmed they capitalize on the mandatory 'Pathway to Racial Literacy' class in select NJ schools to introduce a three-day sexual education class to minor children unbeknownst to parents. Wiers admitted that while parents can opt-out of traditional health classes, by introducing their course through the ‘Pathway to Racial Literacy’ course, HiTOPS can evade parental knowledge or consent.
According to a PDF Handout on the HiTOP website, some of the nonprofit’s curriculum includes: "LGBTQ+ History, Intersectionality, Gender Identity and Gender Expression..." Wiers informed our journalist that Johnson Park Elementary, Princeton Middle School, Trenton Ninth Grade Academy, and Christina Seix Academy in New Jersey are currently partnered with HiTOPS.
In the conversation, Wiers also discussed the nonprofit’s evolution and admits that while HiTOPS brands itself as a traditional sexual education organization, they’ve recently transitioned to do more “affirming work” related to gender identity and gender expression.
Wiers recognized that these topics of gender identity, preferred pronouns, and similar sensitive themes are controversial, and shared that a number of groups had backed out of partnerships with the nonprofit due to parental backlash.
Despite recognizing that parents may be opposed to their curriculum, Wiers admits that HiTOPS encourages educators to utilize school-issued computers to discuss preferred pronouns with children through google surveys sent directly to students without parental knowledge.
Wiers admits the organization’s “real goal” is to make sure that opt-out options for their courses don’t exist at all.
Project Veritas remains committed to investigating the secret curriculums in our nation’s schools.
About Project Veritas
Project Veritas is a non-profit investigative news organization conducting undercover reporting. Project Veritas investigates and exposes corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions to achieve a more ethical and transparent society. Project Veritas is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.