(The Lion) — Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, excoriated Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Macquline King at a recent congressional hearing for prioritizing gender material in schools while the majority of students are failing academically.
“Your fifth grade material includes an objective for students to explain what puberty blocker medications are and the role they may play for transitioning young people,” Owens said. “Fifth grade seems pretty young. That’s 10 years old.”
He then asked if the district was successful, given that less than 25% of fourth graders can read or do math at grade level and only 12% of black students are proficient.
King, who appeared under subpoena, said the results were “not acceptable” but began to defend the district.
“This is why we need choice,” Owens shot back. “My suggestion here is this is not your thing. You need to find something else to do because you’re not helping our kids.”
Watch the video:
Thank goodness we have a Congress that passed landmark school choice legislation, which I helped champion in the Working Families Tax Cut.
No parent should be forced to send their child to a failing school run by ideologues more concerned with teaching 10-year-olds about puberty… https://t.co/ktEzKH3Tvq
— Rep. Burgess Owens (@RepBurgessOwens) June 17, 2026
