Ethical Leadership in an Era of Book Bans, Identity Erasure, and Fake History

The case captures leadership challenges related to recent legislation promoting parents’ rights and the tensions that emerged from new mandates affecting the school’s inclusive culture. The principal finds himself balancing the needs of parents, teachers, and students while staying true to his commitments and ethics. Challenges include growing anxiety in the school’s LGBTQ+ community, parents’ requests to inventory reading lists, and a private social media page for parents concerned with “indoctrination.” This case offers educational leadership faculty an opportunity to engage students in discussion related to ethics, education law, school vision and culture, family engagement, and managing competing demands.