A St. Anthony father is voicing frustration about an LGBTQ+ support day happening at his son’s middle school, saying parents were not informed about the plan ahead of time.

“The issue is that I don’t have any idea what’s going on,” said Charlie Thompson.

He said his eighth-grade son told him LGBTQ-focused activities would be happening at St. Anthony Middle School on Friday.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS got a statement from the school, which reads in part:

“On April 11, 2025 at St. Anthony Middle School (SAMS), some students and staff are recognizing the National Day of (No) Silence to bring attention to the harmful effects of intolerance and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people in schools. SAMS has been honoring this day for years and there is no expectation for students or staff to participate in this Day of (No) Silence.”

The school noted it was put on by their GSA (formerly known as Gay Straight Alliance) club, and students had the option to wear masks and practice silence or wear black to show support.

“I have full support for that community. What I don’t have support of is this agenda that they are, I think, sort of pushing onto the students without any real clear communication about what this means,” Thompson said. “Saying, ‘Here’s the purpose of this, here’s an outline, this is what were going to teach your children with a day such as this.’ There’s nothing like that. Is there a reason that the parents are not getting information about this?”

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked the principal why parents were not told about the day’s events ahead of time.

“I own that. I own that mistake. I certainly wouldn’t want parents to be blindsided by anything,” said Amy Stenson Kujawski, principal at St. Anthony Middle School.

Kujawski said the school sends out a weekly update to families and forgot to include the plan for the National Day of (No) Silence in this week’s newsletter.

She noted it was unintentional, but still a mistake, to not share with families exactly what would be happening during the school day.

“Right after their children’s safety, a second priority for families is open communication and trust. And missteps like this really erode that trust, and so I own that. I take it really seriously,” Kujawski said.

Kujawski said she stands by the decision to allow students to participate in the National Day of (No) Silence but also recognizes parents’ frustrations over the lack of communication.

“I am aware of the position I hold and if I can serve it with humility and vulnerabliity and say I’m sorry when something wasn’t clearly communicated, I think that’s an important lesson, not only for me to know and reflect on but also to model for our students,” Kujawski said.