Attorney GENERAL oF Missouri ANDREW BAILEY Janwery 20,2023 on, Barbara utfaloe ‘Mayor, city of Columbia 701 E Broadway Columbia, Missour, 65205, ear Mayor Buffaloe: |am committed to ensuring that our school system is educating, not indoctrnating children, and that parents have a say in the process. ‘As such along with thousands of parents in our state, | am deeply troubled by reports that you have used the authority of your office to actively undermine Missour' laws by deliberately subjecting a ‘10Up of middle schoo children to an adul-themed drag show performance It appears thatthe performance in question was planned and hasted by the City of Columbia, There is also evidence that Columbia Public Schools intentionally concealed the sexual nature of the presentation to which they invited middle-schoolers and that they actively dlicouraged parents from attending IMissourl law contain ong list of statutes specifialy written to protect the safety and innocence of ‘ur state's children, Your actions this week violated the spirit f not the letter ofthese statutes, ‘The Missour General Assembly recently passed a new statute to protect school-aged children. This statute criminalized providing certain sexual material toa student and became effective in August” But the protections our state provides to Missour's children go further. Section 170.015 RSMo, azo sets forth compliance with Missour’s sex education law which specficaly details what publi schools are and are not allowed to present to minors onthe topic af sex. Transporting students to a drag show likely afl ti statute Missouri law further requires that public officials uch a those working in our schools report instances Of child endangerment. Not only did you fllto report thsincident butt appears city and school officals actively participated in taking underage children to witness an Inappropriate sexual performance in the form ofa drag show. This Kind of performance has no place In the puble ‘educational system, Sec. 573.550, Mo, a aigChildren in our state have a constitutional ight toa quality public education because in Missouri we ‘understand that taining the next generation Is “essential tothe preservation of the rights and liberties" wwe cherish? By this letter lam directing you to retain and not destroy any and ll documents or other evidence in your possession that iin any way connected t this incident as ths office evaluates what further action Berproprate Sincerely, Attorney State of Missourl ce: Dr. Brian Yearwood io, Const. APD a). “A general fusion of knowledge and intligence being essential to the preservation ofthe nit and bers ofthe peopl, the general aeremy shal establch and maintain fee pub soal for ‘he gratuitous instruction of al persons in tis sat within ages notin excess of twenty-one vers a prscribe by lowe