Eric Torres, otherwise known via his stage names Annie Christ or Miss Annie, speaks during the public comment period of the North Penn School Board bu
North Penn School Board President Tina Stoll’s gavel got a workout Thursday night.
There were more than a couple moments during public comment when Stoll had to bring order to a rowdy crowd — a majority of them there to speak for and support newly-hired Pennbrook Middle School Technology Assistant Eric Torres.
Torres, also known as the drag queen Miss Annie or Annie Christ, is a popular entertainer across the Philadelphia region. However, by day, he’s an unassuming Lansdale resident and information technology professional.
During the public comment period of the November school board meeting, Rosanne Gadd, of Lansdale, expressed concern over the school district’s hire of Torres, who, as Miss Annie, she alleged, promoted pornographic books with her 2019 Lansdale Library Drag Queen Storytime and pushed an irreverent lifestyle toward children.
In response to Gadd’s comments, Torres’ friends and Annie’s fans attended last Thursday’s school board meeting to show their support for their friend.
At the start of public comment, Treacy Marseé, of Upper Gwynedd, said her friend Torres’ reputation was being slandered and career threatened by Gadd, “a woman in a group of women who is spreading hate and fear through misinformation and outright lies.”
“This woman stated that she feared Eric being around our children, that he was groomer who read pornographic books at the Lansdale Library Drag Queen Storytime,” Marseé said. “I attended these events with both my children, and none of the books read at any of these events qualified as pornography.”
Marseé, who she said is known as “The Bush” in the local band “Three Beards And A Bush” and known even better for her foul mouth, asked if that disqualifies her from being a senior accountant at a cutting-edge biology company.
“Does that mean North Penn should not have asked me to speak on career day because some people consider my lyrics pornographic or inappropriate? No. I am proud of the music I make. I know what entertainment is appropriate for children, and so does Eric.”
Marseé’s daughter, Kayla Dilts, a freshman at Pennbrook Middle School, told the board how Torres dresses and acts professionally in the school setting.
“He’s a helpful aspect to the Pennbrook IMC,” Dilts said.
Dilts reminisced about how mesmerized she was of Annie Christ at the storytime event, where Annie read “Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed” by Caldecott Medal winner Mo Willems, author of the award-winning Elephant & Piggie children’s book series.
“This is a story that encourages individuality,” Dilts said. “This book and both Eric and Annie gave me the experience to learn that everyone is unique and different. He was someone I could look up to.”
Torres himself, backdropped by cheers and applause, then took the podium to speak about the controversy.
“How am I supposed to follow that?” Torres said. “All my talking points gone in one minute. I love it.”
Torres said his first storytime event on Facebook received three RSVPs and he felt no one wanted any part of it. Citizens protesting against what Torres, as Annie Christ, was doing created a stir in the local media.
Then, the RSVPs jumped to 2,897, he said.
“In 2019, being someone who got bullied most of my life, I wanted to do an anti-bullying campaign for kids who look different, feel different, think differently, just anyone who really needs to have a healthy relationship with themselves and their parents when it comes to bullying,” Torres said.
Torres said he was told about the remarks by Gadd, and he took it as “another group grabbing me and putting me in the spotlight.”
“And I don’t think what people realize is that when I’m put in the spotlight, all of the community work I do, everything I stand for, everyone I help gets amped up by a hundred,” Torres said. “And Lansdale shows up every single time. Look at everyone behind me.”
“It’s a signal for every weirdo kid, everyone who feels like an outcast, everyone who needs help to go to that person, to go to that place, to go to that church, that food bank, that supply drive, and to help our community,” said Torres.
Others spoke in support of Torres, including Rebecca Hoffman, of Towamencin, who stated Annie Christ was “the pure antidote to hate.”
“I could tell you Annie’s willingness to outreach is a gift that should be cherished and valued,” Hoffman said. “You are cherished and valued.”
While the majority of the public comment period was supportive of Torres and the district’s hire, several others spoke out in opposition, including Gadd, who returned to the December meeting to defend her previous comments, address a recent op-ed column written by Lansdale Mayor Garry Herbert, and clear up “confusion on social media about (her) speech” at last month’s action meeting.
“We are here as concerned parents, not for any particular group. It was completely taken out of context,” Gadd said. “We are providing awareness and asking questions regarding the North Penn hiring process. It’s absurd to me that this board refuses to answer questions when all we are doing is seeking truth.”
Gadd said it is about suppressing and attacking free speech when people disagree with the narrative. She said individuals should be able to articulate opinions without fear of retaliation, then reference Mayor Herbert’s recent op-ed on “otherism.”
“‘There is no hate here.’ Interesting how the one-sided narrative on North Penn Now came out about concerned parents are haters. Yet, [the op-ed] mentions that parents have the right to do what they want with their kids,” Gadd said.
Gadd was then met with loud boos and calling out from the audience, forcing Stoll to hit the gavel to regain order.
“The same respect should be given please to parents and taxpayers that have the right to know what the standards are for any new hires in our school district,” Gadd said. “With inclusion being the hot topic, why aren’t patriotic or Christian ideologies embedded in the district?”
Jason Lanier, of Lansdale, was also among the handful of people in opposition to the hire. Upon taking the mic during public comment, Lanier implied Torres’ hiring may have satisfied a greater initiative to hire transgender teachers.
“For what reason? For what reason? And then it occurred to me … it may satisfy the National Education Association push to hire transgender people,” Lanier said, calling out three board members affiliated with the NEA. “If you’re able to send money to campaigns, I don’t know, maybe Mayor Garry’s campaign? ... But that being said, looking at what the NEA wants to do is promote transgender teachers in the schools. Why is that beneficial? Much to the chagrin of these people behind me here, in reality, the transgender statistics are frightening.”
When reached comment regarding Lanier’s assertion, Torres stated he is neither transgender nor is he a teacher. He declined to comment further, stating comments at the meeting spoke for themselves.
Vincent Altieri, of Lansdale, told the board that their minds are made up and there is no room for conversation.
“I speak for my child, and I want my child to be taught the curriculum,” he said. “I listened tonight, and one thing that stood out to me was several times I heard ‘let’s educate poor misguided people, let’s open their minds and hearts to the beautiful powers of words.’ Well, that didn’t happen from my perspective this evening.”
Altieri claims he was told by an audience member sitting behind him to “shut the f—k up” when he asked him to allow somebody else to speak.
“That’s not appropriate. So, my mind and my heart is not open,” he said.
Watch the entire meeting on YouTube here.
After the conclusion of the public comment period, Board Directors Elisha Gee and Cathy Wesley offered their support for Torres and expressed confidence that he was hired based upon his experience and education.
North Penn School Board Vice President Christian Fusco also chimed in with support for Torres.
“I’m just going to make this simple: Eric has a right to work in North Penn. Eric has a right to live his life. Eric has a right to give back to his community the way that he does,” said Fusco, to applause from the audience. “I want to make sure that the community hears this — not just the adults in the room tonight, but the students at North Penn, and in particular the LGBTQIA+ students at North Penn — and understands, as we’ve said this before: we have your back, we recognize what this is, and we do not accept it. Eric has a right to work here, and I’m happy he’s a part of the team.”
North Penn School Board Director Jonathan Kassa thanked the community for attending the meeting, saying it was an opportunity to engage in discussion and signal what the district’s values are. He also called for embracing differences and called for civility when discussing other opinions and lifestyles.
Upon the conclusion of the meeting, Stoll provided the following comment to North Penn Now:
“It was very clear that the voices of acceptance, inclusiveness, and love were much louder than those of divisiveness and hate this evening. And it was nice to see.”
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