Connecticut Schools Cancel Visit by Education Secretary McMahon
For the second time this year, a Connecticut school has canceled an appearance by Education Secretary Linda McMahon and other speakers touring the country as part of the “National History Rocks Tour.” The tour aims to visit at least one school in each of the 50 states to teach American history as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration this year.
The latest school to cancel is Thomaston High School, following complaints from a group of indignant parents. This occurred despite reassurances from Board of Education Chairman Nathan Vieira that the event would be strictly educational and non-political.
The Board’s Stance and McMahon’s Response
Vieira stated, “The Thomaston Board of Education takes community trust seriously… There will be no campaigning, no partisan messaging, and no political endorsements. The event will be supervised by school staff and conducted in accordance with district safety and visitor procedures.”
McMahon did not comment on the most recent cancellation, but told the New York Times last month, after the first school canceled her appearance: “Some have tried to brand this tour as ‘radical,’ ‘dangerous,’ and ‘partisan indoctrination.’ How absurd. What you see is not politics—it is a shared commitment to our nation’s story.” She added that it “speaks volumes about certain voices in our society that they would seek to distort a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and deprive children of this experience.”
The Persistence of Cancel Culture
It appears some critics cannot tolerate even overtly pro-American history when it concerns our nation’s birth and independence. These activists are making sure “cancel culture” remains alive and well, specifically targeting individuals with whom they personally disagree and puttin politics over education.
Don Irvine
Donald Irvine is the chairman of of Accuracy in Academia (AIA), a non-profit research group reporting on bias in education. Irvine follows his father’s legacy, Reed Irvine, to critically analyze the liberal media’s bias and brings over thirty years of media analysis experience. He has published countless blog posts and articles on media bias, in context of current events, and he has been interviewed by many news media outlets during his professional career. He currently hosts a livestream weekly show on AIA’s Facebook page which discusses current events.
Irvine graduated from the University of Maryland and rose up the ranks to become chairman of Accuracy in Media until his transition to AIA.
He resides in the suburbs around the nation’s capital and is a proud father and grandfather.
