Loudon County public schools teach students Thanksgiving is a ’day of mourning’

LCPS developed a guide titled “Resources for Recognition Days & Months” in 2024 and updated it for the 2026-27 school year. The guide provides teachers with external resources and lesson plans for teaching students about federal holidays and other recognized observances, according to Protect the Public’s Trust, which obtained the document via a public records request.

The materials promote a left-wing worldview when it comes to American holidays. Among the recommended teachings is an elementary school lesson titled “The Real Story of Thanksgiving,” which includes a slide that describes the holiday as a “Day of Mourning” and encourages teaching students why Thanksgiving is a “sad day for all Native Americans.” Another lesson is titled “Thanksgiving: A Day of Mixed Blessings.”

"Some Native American groups protest Thanksgiving as a Day of Mourning," a slide stated. "They claim that the arrival of European explorers and settlers is not a cause for celebration, because it began the ill treatment and deaths of millions of Native Americans. For them, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a long period of violence and discrimination."

The material also addresses Columbus Day, or Indigenous Peoples’ Day, with lesson plans spanning kindergarten through 12th grade. The resources include sections titled “Honoring the Right People,” and “Discovery Myth.”

Other materials address LGBTQ Pride Month, including resources for elementary school students that prompt teachers to raise questions about “inequality and prejudice” and explore how to celebrate LGBTQ history “beyond October.” It also includes resources about Women’s History Month, encouraging teachers to consider how they can incorporate the teachings in the classroom “while recognizing that gender inequality continues to exist.”

The lesson materials have raised questions about compliance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January 2025 titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.” The order stated that “imprinting anti-American, subversive, harmful, and false ideologies on our Nation’s children not only violates longstanding anti-discrimination civil rights law in many cases, but usurps basic parental authority.”

“From introducing elementary school students to LGBTQ pride to teaching children that Thanksgiving is a ‘Day of Mourning,’ Loudoun County seems determined to filter American history and traditions through a DEI lens. There’s nothing wrong with teaching the complicated parts of American history, but these materials seem to emphasize grievance, oppression, and critical interpretations,” Protect the Public’s Trust communications director Alexa Moutevelis said in a statement. “It’s a good reminder for parents to pay attention to messages their children are receiving in the classroom and how public schools are choosing to frame important holidays and historical events.”