Org. Miffed Over School's Transgender Fish Lessons

An elementary school in Oakland, Calif., has sparked anger from a conservative group for using animals like transgender clownfish to teach children about gender identity.

Students in each grade at Redwood Heights Elementary School were given age-appropriate, hour-long lessons on gender diversity Monday and Tuesday, the San Francisco Chroniclereports. For example, fourth- and fifth-graders learned about single-sex Hawaiian geckos and male snakes that take on female characteristics, in addition to clownfish that change genders.

However, members of the Pacific Justice Institute rallied against the decision to bring in outside educators to teach students about gender diversity.

"This instruction does not represent the values of the majority of families in Oakland," said attorney Kevin Snider in a statement, according to the Chronicle.

The organization's statements have drawn attention from national news outlets like Fox News and USA Today.

The lessons are part of a larger effort to increase diversity and acceptance at the school. Parents were notified of the lesson plan, and only a handful of children were excused from school after parents objected.

The state of California requires all schools to have policies to address safety and diversity, for all grades.