Parents accuse NYC Department of Education and Mayor de Blasio of attempting to 'silence' them



New York City parents of children in public schools are accusing outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio of attempting to silence them.

In an op-ed for the New York Post, Maud Maron and Danyela Souza Egorov say that a proposed regulation would allow the city Department of Education "to discipline and remove elected parents from Community Education Councils (our school-board equivalent) if they criticize the school district they are meant to hold accountable."

The rule, Chancellor's Regulation D-210, prohibits discrimination and harassment and says "conduct that violates this regulation may serve as a basis for discipline, even if it does not rise to the level of a violation of federal, state or local discrimination laws." It would apply to all elected or appointed members of any of the 32 Community District Education Councils, or four citywide education councils in New York.

Its stated purpose is to "develop and maintain a positive and supportive environment for elected and appointed parent leaders that is free of discrimination, harassment, bias, racism, and intimidation."

But the parents write that the "vague language" outlining what kind of conduct is prohibited is too broad. They also criticize the rule for establishing an "equity-compliance officer" to enforce it.

"This (no doubt expensive) bureaucrat would be charged with deciding who to target for removal for violating the newly expanded 'code of conduct,'" the parents write.

They charged that other provisions of the proposed rule are attempts by the DOE to "censor speech it finds inconvenient."

One section says council members cannot engage in “frequent verbal abuse and unnecessary aggressive speech” with others. The regulation also allows the chancellor to request a CEC member be removed if she believes the member’s conduct is “contrary to the best interest of the New York City school district.” Conduct that happens outside of CEC meetings or public appearances could serve as a basis for a complaint and removal, as long as the conduct “creates or would foreseeably create a risk of disruption within the district or school community.”

Even worse, an Equity Council, a team of DOE-appointed apparatchiks, would be tasked with providing recommendations on the resolutions of complaints — in other words who to remove and silence. The regulation ominously says that “in the event of a disagreement between the Equity Compliance Officer and the Equity Council, the recommendation of the Equity Compliance Officer shall govern.” Using equity language to cover up the undemocratic impulse to unseat critics is a transparent ploy.

The op-ed authors note that this rule is being proposed just after parents voted directly for CEC members, and "flipped" some councils by electing representatives who are vocally critical of DOE policies.

"While the DOE pretends this regulation is about protecting students, it includes language that is clearly meant to shield the DOE from any and all criticism from duly elected council members," they write.

The New York City Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Panel for Education Policy will vote on Chancellor's Regulation D-210 on Dec. 21.

Across the nation, parents have come into conflict with school boards over issues related to COVID-19 policies, the content of school libraries, accommodations for transgender students, and more. Some of these heated confrontations over the past year generated national media coverage. In response, the National School Board Association wrote to the Biden administration, requesting that federal law enforcement investigate incidents of violence and comparing protesting parents to "domestic terrorists."

That letter prompted many state school board associations to withdraw from membership in the NSBA, and the national body eventually issued an apology for the language used in its letter to Biden.


'Shame on you!': 1 arrest, 1 injury after school board shuts down public comment, declares 'unlawful assembly' — and parents are furious



One man was arrested and another person was hurt at a raucous Loudoun County (Virginia) School Board meeting Tuesday, WRC-TV reported.

What's the background?

The district and its board — as well as parents of students — have made numerous national headlines recently over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the teaching of critical race theory, "pornographic" content in assigned books, and LGBTQ issues. Furthermore, an elementary school teacher — a Christian — was suspended for voicing opposition to the district's transgender-affirming policies and then reinstated by a judge's order. And a 14-year-old student went viral after blasting the board for putting her in danger by allowing transgender students to use girls' locker rooms.

And it all came to a head at Tuesday's meeting, which featured high security — state troopers and county sheriff's deputies — due to death threats against school board members, WRC reported.

What happened?

A huge crowd of parents at the meeting — furious over critical race theory and policies surrounding transgender students — held up signs saying "We the parents stand up" and "Education not indoctrination," the station said, adding that they also chanted and even sang the national anthem.

Image source: WRC-TV video screenshot

Former state Sen. Richard Black said the board got angry and shut down public comment after he blasted members over their controversial policies:

The LCPS shut down the public input after the audience erupted in applause at the end of my speech. Hundreds of pa… https://t.co/3RMID2yLmQ

— Senator Dick Black (@SenRichardBlack) 1624407443.0

Black did not mince words: "You retaliated against Tanner Cross by yanking him from teaching for addressing a public hearing of this board. The judge ordered you to reinstate Mr. Cross because if his comments were not protected speech, then free speech does not exist at all. It's absurd and immoral for teachers to call boys 'girls' and girls 'boys.' You're making teachers lie to students, and even kids know that it's wrong. This board has a dark history of suppressing free speech. They caught you red-handed with an enemies list to punish opponents of Critical Race Theory. You're teaching children to hate others because of their skin color, and you're forcing them to lie about other kids' gender. I am disgusted by your bigotry and your depravity."

Black's microphone was cut just before his last words, and the crowd began cheering.

The board unanimously voted to shut down the meeting after repeatedly issuing warnings about decorum and disruptions, WRC said, adding that parents chanted "Shame on you!" and raised their middle fingers.

Nearly 260 people had signed up to speak at the meeting, the station added.

But a school district spokesperson said "the meeting has degenerated" as the board shut it down and ordered people to leave, WRC said.

More from the station:

One man was "acting disorderly and displayed aggressive behavior towards another attendee," the sheriff's office said in a statement. A deputy intervened and the man continued to be disorderly. Deputies tried to take him into custody and he resisted arrest, the sheriff's office said. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Another man received a summons for trespassing after school officials asked those in attendance to clear the room, the sheriff's office said.

A third person received a minor injury, officials said, without releasing details.

Image source: WRC-TV video screenshot

What did a pair of parents have to say?

A pair of parents told Fox News that fewer than half of those registered to speak actually got a chance to do so, and they both ripped the board.

Amy Jahr told the cable network that it was a "school board meeting on steroids."

"[They were] silencing us every time you tried to speak," she told Fox News. "You try to write emails, they don't answer us. It erupted, and emotions were high tonight, for sure."

Ian Prior added to the cable network that leftists will not prevail.

"They can keep trying, they can keep busing people in or holding rallies outside, but we are not going to stop," he noted to Fox News. "This is the wokest school board in America, and it's also is the worst school board in America, and we are not going to stop until we get a seat at the table."

What did the board chair have to say?

School Board Chair Brenda Sheridan afterward told WRC the board stands with LGBTQ students during Pride Month and will continue to work to make schools equitable.

"We will not back down from fighting for the rights of our students and continuing our focus on equity," she added to the station. "We will continue to work toward making Virginia, specifically Loudoun, the best place to raise a family."

Sheridan also called for a halt to "politically motivated antics" and said "loud voices aiming to make our schools a political battleground will not silence the work for our students," WRC said.

The district has denied repeatedly that critical race theory is being taught in its schools, WJLA-TV reported.

Transgender parent speaks out

Transgender parent Cris Candice Tuck has attended several meetings, WJLA noted.

"At the end of the day, we're very hopeful that the school board is going to continue to do what's right for our students, protect transgender students," Tuck said.

Image source: WRC-TV video screenshot

Tuck in an interview with WRC also seemed disturbed by parents' "violent" behavior at the meeting, saying "they were standing on chairs and throwing things, and we had to go in and ... escort" attendees from the meeting room.

WJLA said the board is set to reconvene Aug. 10 regarding issues discussed Tuesday.

Viral video shows irate parent screaming at Virginia school board for continuing to keep students out of school. His remarks stun them into silence.



An irate parent has gone viral overnight after confronting Virginia's Loudoun County School Board for keeping its students out of schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aliscia Andrews, former Republican nominee for Virginia's 10th District, shared the video on Twitter, where it exploded.

What are the details?

Andrews — also a Marine veteran — shared the video late Tuesday night and captioned it, "As a parent, this pandemic has brought forth some incredible challenges. This dad has had enough, we all have. No real metrics to safely open the schools, while the [school board] continues to kick the can further down the road. Many parents feel just as he does. #LCPS #openschools[.]"

In the video, a masked dad be seen addressing the school board.

He calmly begins, "You should all be fired from your day jobs, because if your employers knew that you were more inefficient than the DMV, you would be replaced in a heartbeat. I literally just finished a conference call because I'm having to multitask to be here to address you guys. You're a bunch of cowards hiding behind our children as an excuse for keeping schools closed. You think you're some sort of martyrs because of the decisions you're making when the statistics do not lie that the vast majority of the population is not at risk from this virus."

Becoming further angered, the unnamed parent began shouting.

"The garbage workers who pick up my freaking trash risk their lives every day more than anyone in this school system! Figure it out! Or get off the podium!" he screamed. "Because you know what? There are people like me and a line of other people out there who will gladly take your seat and figure it out! It's not a high bar! Raise the freaking bar!"

After finishing his rant, he left the podium, stunning the board members into dead silence.

"I'm gonna give staff an opportunity to make sure that, um, the podium and microphone had been — " an unnamed woman in the room can be heard saying as the man — off camera at this point — responds, "Please wipe it down ahead of time ... we don't want anything to infect us."

The woman responds, "Your time is finished; can you please leave the boardroom?"

As he exits the room, he can be heard saying, "I'll be back next time. And the next time — till you open the freaking schools!"

As a parent, this pandemic has brought forth some incredible challenges. This dad has had enough, we all have. No… https://t.co/UKxJENQzmM
— Aliscia Andrews (@Aliscia Andrews)1611702890.0

What else?

On Tuesday, WTOP-TV reported that the school board is set to vote next Tuesday on a plan that would have students pre-K through fifth grade — whose parents chose hybrid learning — back in school buildings no later than Feb. 16.

"If approved," the station reported, "middle and high schoolers whose parents have already opted into the model would return to classrooms for two days per week by March 3."

In December, a spike in COVID-19 cases prompted the district to return to 100% remote learning. No children have been permitted to attend in-school classes since.

The station reported that more than 6,000 Loudoun County teachers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A report from WJLA-TV notes that that number is expected to climb to approximately 8,700 by the week's end.

Superintendent Dr. Scott Ziegler later in the meeting implored people to have patience over the situation.

"I just like to remind folks in all of my discussions surrounding COVID-19, whether it be with teachers or principals or board members or parents, that we really need to come at this from a place where we are operating with patience, with flexibility, with comfort of the not-yet-known, and with grace," he said. "We can have a differing of opinions, but we can express those opinions and express our thoughts on what the plan is moving forward."

What are teachers saying?

WJLA reported that the Loudoun Education Association is "pushing back" against the school board's proposed timeline.

"What the Loudoun Education Association wants is for all employees who wish to be vaccinated to have both vaccinations before they go back [to school]," the organization's president said in a statement. "This vaccine is not a one-shot deal."

The president added, "This idea of moving students in the buildings now will slow down the vaccination process, because school nurses are administering the vaccines. And when school buildings are open, school nurses need to be in the building."

Ziegler has said that just 500 district employees will have received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by mid-February.