Controversy over Cottage Grove teacher's social media posts

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — Parents and community members in Cottage Grove are questioning South Lane School District for hiring a teacher they say is posting sexually explicit content on their private social media accounts.

The transgender teacher, Angie Kendoll, can be seen on TikTok dancing to a captioned sexually explicit song.

One X account, formerly Twitter, has reposted Kendolls' controversial posts and garnered under 5 million views, with some accusing the teacher of grooming their students.

We spoke with South Lane School District Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Curtis earlier today and asked her about the hiring protocol and code of conduct for teachers.

She told us there is a lengthy hiring process, including a background check and fingerprints that are run through the FBI. They also check licenses and references, all of which are sent to Human Resources.

She confirms that there isn't a social media background check for teachers.

Curtis told us they have no jurisdiction over teachers' social media due to their constitutional right to freedom of speech.

She says four families met with the principal to discuss the situation. All parents chose to keep their kids in the school.

No students have expressed any concern.

"We do caution all of our staff to be professional to be careful about social media presence out there, but it really is their First Amendment right," said the Superintendent. "We will often ask them to take things down or make things private, but it's still their choice. I did see the video and did not see it pass any lines around the things people are accusing that it does stand for."

Curtis hasn't spoken with teachers, students, nor parents about this and does not have any plans to do so.

The school has received concerning emails from community members and calls from people across the country expressing disagreement.

This all comes months after a physical altercation broke out between several community members.

And this isn't just happening here in Cottage Grove. There's been a national pushback against transgender teachers nationwide in other states, including Georgia, Florida, California, and more.

One parent explains they're not upset about the gender identity of the teacher but instead the sexually explicit content they've been posting.

A group of parents gathered at a local restaurant to discuss their children's future.

The parents reiterated that they don't take any issue with the teacher's gender identity, but rather the teachers lack of judgement for posting inappropriate content as an educator.

"It's beyond me why someone would post sexual comments of that type on social media," said Chris Holloman, a Cottage Grove Resident. "So, I don't see it about anything about gender or who you love or your private life. It really questions somebody's judgement that is an educator."

Many of the parents were afraid to appear on camera due to possible backlash from the community.

Parents and community members at this meeting agreed that all teachers in the South Lane School District should undergo a social media background check.

Its something they will bring up at the school board meeting on Monday, September 11, at 5:30 p.m.

We did reach out to the teacher, but they chose not to speak.