When "Safety" Is Misused: A Calvert County, Maryland Case Study

Recently, an incident during a school board meeting in Calvert County, Maryland garnered attention both regionally and nationally. A local resident reported concerns to Child Protective Services (CPS) regarding an event organized by a high school student group affiliated with Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which the individual found objectionable.

Not because of abuse.

Not because of neglect.

Not because of danger.

Because of politics.

And that should concern every one of us, regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum.

What Actually Happened

At the February 12, 2026, school board meeting, a local resident raised alarms about a student-led group called Calvert County Club America (CCCA). The club is affiliated with TPUSA but operates independently as a 501(c)(3). It is not a school-run organization.

The resident claimed the club's December event raised "serious concerns" about student safety and transparency. She stated that she had contacted CPS.

A 17-year-old student, the club's president, responded publicly. Calmly. Factually. He explained that:

• Every student who attended had parental permission
• Adults were restricted from the event because of online harassment directed at the students
• No grooming, exploitation, or criminal behavior occurred
• And, in his words: "I'm 17...I can't groom children because I am a child."

His statement was direct, human, and clarifying. It also highlighted something important: this was a student-organized civic activity with parental involvement, not a safety incident.

What Child Protective Services (CPS)Is Actually For

CPS is one of the most serious tools we have for protecting children. It exists to investigate:

• Abuse
• Neglect
• Imminent harm
• Unsafe living conditions

It does not exist to referee political disagreement. It does not exist to express disapproval of a student club. And it absolutely does not exist to intimidate minors who are participating in civic life.

When CPS is used this way, several things happen:

• Real cases wait longer for attention
• Families experience unnecessary fear and disruption
• Trust in the system erodes
• The meaning of "safety" becomes diluted

Weaponizing CPS, intentionally or not, harms the very children the system is designed to protect.

The Rise of "Safety-Washing"

Across the country, we're seeing a trend that I call "safety-washing": using the language of safety to mask ideological discomfort.

It sounds like:

• "I'm just worried about the children"
• "This feels unsafe"
• "We need to protect vulnerable populations"

But when you look closely, the concern isn't about actual harm. It's about disagreement. When safety language is stretched this far, it becomes harder to use it when it truly matters. And that's dangerous.

A Calvert County, Maryland, Standard Worth Upholding

Calvert County has a long history of student clubs, civic engagement, and spirited debate. We can protect that tradition while also protecting children without confusing the two.

A more robust standard is defined as follows:

• If a student club follows the rules, obtains parental permission, and maintains appropriate boundaries, it is not a safety issue.
• If a resident disagrees with a club's ideology, that is a political issue, not a CPS issue.
• If someone believes a policy needs clarification, the school board is the right venue, not a state investigation.

We can disagree passionately about politics. But we cannot afford to misuse the systems designed to protect our most vulnerable.

A Community Call for Stewardship

Calvert County is stronger when we reserve CPS for real danger, not political discomfort. It's stronger when adults model proportionality, clarity, and responsibility. And it's stronger when we allow young people to participate in civic life without fear of being reported to state authorities for holding the "wrong" viewpoint. 

Safety is too important to be used as a political tool.

Civic engagement is too important to be chilled by intimidation.

And our children are too important to be caught in the crossfire of adult disagreements.