Ohio moms say private school 'retaliated against our children' over anti-critical race theory advocacy
Two Ohio mothers vocal against critical race theory from being taught at the private school their children attend are claiming school has retaliated against their children for speaking out about the school's alleged foray progressive ideologies.
What are the details?
Andrea Gross and Amy Gonzalez claim that Columbus Academy — which WSYX-TV called "one of the most well-known private schools in Ohio" — expelled their children after they began rallying other parents against far-left ideologies like CRT and anti-conservative bias.
Gross and Gonzalez reportedly lead the Pro-CA Coalition, a group of parents fighting back against curriculum and bias that amounts to "indoctrination" at Columbus Academy.
According to Fox News, the school responded to their activism by having "effectively expelled two of Gross' children and one of Gonzalez's." One of those children is a junior in high school who has attended the school for his entire academic life.
In a letter sent to Gross, the school's leaders claimed the women "have engaged in a campaign against Columbus Academy through a sustained, and increasingly inflammatory, series of false and misleading attacks on the School and its leadership."
A spokesman for the school, whose tuition ranges from $20,000 to nearly $31,000 per year, said in a statement:
No child has ever been denied re-enrollment to Columbus Academy because a parent raised questions, concerns or criticisms about a child's education. However, any parent who waged a public campaign of false and misleading statements and inflammatory attacks harmful to the employees, the reputation, or the financial stability of Columbus Academy would be in clear violation of the enrollment agreement.
What are the parents saying?
Gross told Fox News host Tucker Carlson this week the school is retaliating against them for their advocacy.
"I would say we were very surprised that the school decided to retaliate against our children," Gross said. "Unfortunately, just asking questions has resulted in our children being punished."
In a separate interview with WSYX, Gross said, "I believe they are trying to send a message to the other members of our coalition that if you speak out and you ask questions that they will punish your innocent children, and our members are afraid. Separating people by the color of their skin is regressive, we are not just anti-racist, we are also pro-human."
Gross explained both families requested an appeal, but the school said they were not "entitled" to an appeal. Instead, the school retained two law firms, Gross said.