- A social media influencer's appearance at a West Haven junior high school career day event caused a dustup.
- Weber School District didn't find anything inappropriate in the presentation by Briel Adams-Wheatley, who identifies as "trans" and was born without arms or legs.
- However, some of the influencer's social media posts "may not be appropriate for junior high-aged students," the district said.
WASHINGTON TERRACE — A presentation at a West Haven junior high school by a social media influencer with millions of followers sparked backlash among some parents, who were concerned about content on the influencer's accounts.
It prompted an apology from Weber School District officials on Wednesday and a vow to examine the procedures they follow for inviting speakers to schools.
While Briel Adams-Wheatley's presentation at a career day event last week "did not include age-inappropriate content, we intend to strengthen our vetting process, including a review of any materials that may encourage students to view online content introduced by an outside presenter," the district said in a statement. "We apologize for the concern this event may have caused some parents and students, and we are committed to improving our processes to help prevent similar issues in the future."
Adams-Wheatley, who has 1.24 million followers on YouTube, was one of several speakers who addressed eighth-graders at Rocky Mountain Junior High School in West Haven on Jan. 29. The talk focused on the skills necessary to be a social media influencer.
"My goal is to inspire others to overcome challenges. Remember, 'stay limb-it-less,'" reads the description of the YouTube account. Now living in West Haven, Adams-Wheatley has 5 million followers on TikTok and 1.1 million on Instagram and has been featured in profiles by British Vogue and other publications. Born without arms or legs, the YouTube page says Adams-Wheatley has "come out as trans."
Wednesday's statement noted Adams-Wheatley's "successful online career" and said the presentation to students "focused on the professional use of social media and highlighted the skills needed to be successful in that field, including writing, speaking, creativity, confidence and problem-solving."
But while officials found nothing problematic in the presentation, some of Adams-Wheatley's social media posts "may not be appropriate for junior high-aged students," the statement reads. "We also learned that the presenter's social media handles did appear on one slide during the presentation, which may have prompted students to visit those accounts and view those posts."
The statement didn't specify any of the social media posts from Adams-Wheatley that may have prompted the dustup. The posts variously show the influencer putting on makeup, showing off clothing, preparing food and managing everyday activities as a person without arms or legs.
However, in an email on Wednesday to school officials, Erin Glover, who addressed the board during the public comment section of the school board meeting, referenced the clothing Adams-Wheatley wears in some social posts. "What sort of outrage would parents have had if it was a white WOMAN dressed in lingerie, exploiting herself, yet she called herself an influencer?" Glover wrote.
Glover also questioned how school officials vetted Adams-Wheatley. "Why was this person chosen? Did you all not know how many social media influencers we have in our area? We also have many people who are disabled, who could have also been very positive for our children," Glover wrote.
Adams-Wheatley didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Matt Williams, the Weber School District director of secondary education, said in a message to parents earlier this week on the matter that Adams-Wheatley's actual presentation focused on the skills developed that have helped in the influencer's career. Those include writing, speaking, creativity, confidence and problem-solving. Afterward, though, "concerns were brought to our attention regarding content on the presenter's social media accounts," leading to the review of the presentation and the process followed in picking Adams-Wheatley to speak to students, he wrote.
Even if Adams-Wheatley's presentation contained no inappropriate material, the district's statement on Wednesday indicated it could have taken additional steps in selecting who to speak. Parents at Rocky Mountain Junior High had been provided with a list of presenters in advance of who would appear at the career day event.
"While the district has an established process for vetting presentations, additional consideration should have been given to whether a social media influencer was an appropriate presenter for a junior high audience, as we are constantly combating social media influence on young students in our schools. The review process should have also included a more thorough assessment of the presenter's social media content since social media was the focus of the presentation," the statement reads.
Going forward, the district said it would provide more information to parents about outside presenters ahead of time to give them "the opportunity to excuse their child from a presentation if they choose."
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Tim Vandenack
