A fifth-grade student who refused to teach gender ideology to kindergarteners joined President Donald Trump at the Museum of the Bible on Tuesday, delivering powerful testimony about the price his family paid for standing firm in their Christian faith against school indoctrination.

Student Forced to Teach Gender Fluidity

Shea Encinas, now 12, faced a mandatory mentoring program at La Costa Heights Elementary in the Encinitas Union School District that required him to teach his kindergarten buddy using the book My Shadow Is Pink. The picture book promotes the concept that children can choose their gender based on feelings rather than biological reality. The story follows a boy whose inner identity is pink and who prefers dresses and girls’ toys, presenting radical gender ideology as child-appropriate literature. Encinas recognized the material contradicted his Christian beliefs but felt trapped by the school requirement.

Family Faced Retaliation After Speaking Out

After his parents objected to the curriculum, the school district treated the family poorly, according to Encinas. Both he and his brother became targets of bullying specifically because of their faith. Despite reporting the harassment, school administrators took no action to protect the students or stop the attacks. The young student told the Museum of the Bible audience that the experience hurt deeply, but he maintained his trust in God throughout the ordeal. His testimony highlighted the conflict many religious families face when public schools mandate participation in programs that violate their deeply held beliefs.

Presidential Platform for Religious Freedom

Speaking alongside President Trump, Encinas expressed hope that his story would prevent other families from experiencing similar treatment. He stated that students like him should be able to live out their faith at school without being forced to violate their conscience. The 12-year-old declared that he has been a Christian his whole life and that Jesus means everything to him. His appearance at the Museum of the Bible represents a growing national conversation about parental rights, religious freedom in public schools, and age-appropriate curriculum. The case raises questions about whether school districts can compel students to promote ideologies that conflict with their family’s religious convictions, particularly regarding sensitive topics like gender identity being taught to elementary-age children.