Finley Warden, a 20-year-old college student, attended an October educator conference by the Montana Federation of Public Employees as “a concerned Montanan.” Concerned with leftist indoctrination in Montana’s education system, Warden, now studying online at Liberty University, secretly recorded events at the Missoula conference. He shared this content on social media, revealing controversial discussions among educators.
In a post on X, he claimed, “You won’t believe what I caught them saying when leftist teachers and activists think no one is listening.” Recordings included a librarian defending a book about a romance between teenage boys and discussions on censorship following the removal of Sally Mann’s photographs from a Texas museum. These clips quickly gained traction, shared by conservative newsletters, radio shows, and the popular Libs of TikTok account.
Warden shared his recordings with Montana’s Office of Public Instruction (OPI). Following that, Superintendent Susie Hedalen sent a letter to school administrators, reminding them of compliance with laws related to DEI and gender identity instruction, although no explicit violations were cited. In a joint press release, Hedalen and Senate President Matt Regier announced support for legislation in 2027 that could alter how educators access professional development, aiming to prevent educational credits for conferences promoting “extreme leftist ideology.” The MFPE president argued the recordings were misleading and warned of potential negative impacts on teacher recruitment.
THE CONFERENCE
Held on October 16-17 at Big Sky High School in Missoula, the 2025 MFPE Educator Conference attracted 800 educators statewide. The event provided professional development covering student engagement, adolescent suicide prevention, and Montana’s Constitution. MFPE funded the event through member dues and registration fees. Teachers earn professional development credits crucial for maintaining their licensure.
Despite criticism, MFPE President Amanda Curtis emphasized the value of the conference, noting OPI’s prior involvement and failure to raise concerns during planning. Curtis stated, “We’re so proud of this conference,” underscoring the importance of collaboration and continued teacher development.
Warden, attending for the second year, expressed his frustration with leftist instruction in Montana schools, highlighting his conservative stance during classroom discussions. He had testified in support of making professional development meetings optional for school closures, but the related House Bill 557 failed to pass.
‘HEARTSTOPPER’
The recordings from Warden prompted Hedalen and Regier to release a statement describing an incident where a librarian discussed a “sexually explicit book.” The librarian’s comments were related to restoring a book to a middle school library, identified later as the “Heartstopper” series. The series, depicting a romance between two teenage boys, has faced censorship and debate in various states.
Despite criticism, MFPE’s Curtis defended the librarian, arguing the audio was out of context and highlighted the process of ensuring books meet selection criteria. The district confirmed no challenges to “Heartstopper” titles but noted varying availability across school libraries.
‘DEI IN ART’
Another contentious clip featured a presenter discussing Sally Mann’s photography removal, encouraging discussion on censorship parallels to the Nazi regime’s art restrictions. OPI’s support for legislation isn’t solely based on these recordings, but no concrete examples of law violations were provided.
‘GENDER UNICORNS’
Warden’s third viral clip, although recorded at a prior conference, involved a discussion on gender and sexuality. It included references to LGBTQ resources and the “gender unicorn” infographic. This discussion followed previous legislative changes requiring parental consent for gender identity instruction.
‘BARRIERS’ TO TEACHING
Future legislation may end mandatory school closures for professional development and revise standards for credits to exclude politically divisive content. Felicia King, a science teacher, stressed the importance of these conferences for professional growth and teacher retention, warning that changes could impose significant barriers.
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