Amherst Regional Middle School in Massachusetts has become a battleground of identity politics, engulfed in accusations of transphobia and racism. The controversy ignited after the school’s student newspaper reported that Christian staff members, who are mostly black and Hispanic, were alleged to have engaged in practices such as misgendering transgender students and conversion therapy. This led to complaints from the parents of transgender children, who were predominately white, which subsequently led to accusations against them of racism.
The situation then escalated into a complex layer of mutual accusations among parents, staff, and administration. The school’s environment has been described as fostering a “culture of fear and intimidation” according to the DailyMail. Assistant Superintendent Doreen Cunningham was particularly targeted and was accused of protecting the staff involved. Her son defended her, suggesting that the issues were racially motivated and not directly related to LGBTQ+ concerns.
On Friday, Ana Kasparian, co-host of the progressive news and commentary show “The Young Turks,” slammed DEI practices in educational settings, specifically addressing the ongoing ‘culture wars’ at Amherst Regional Middle School in Massachusetts.
“So the white and Asian students are going to private or charter schools, they’re focusing on academics, then you look at this public school and they’re riddled with culture war nonsense?” Kasparian began. Even far-left host Cenk Uygur said, “I think that a lot of people, including myself to be honest, are starting to get the sense that wait, is DEI actually to help minorities across the country? Because I’m in favor of that.”
“Or is it to help elite African Americans and minorities get the jobs they want?” he asked.
WATCH:
The Young Turk’s Ana Kasparian shreds ‘culture war games’ in schools:
“Can we please just hire the most qualified people for the job, because kids can’t even read!”— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 12, 2024
“Don’t feed me this BS about like, ‘oh, we did mediation,’ okay? You can take your mediation and shove it up your *ss. Stop wasting taxpayer money and playing with these kids’ lives by engaging in your cutesy little culture war games” the liberal host said.
In recent months, DEI initiatives have been met with resistance as top-down mandates, without adequate input from all stakeholders.
“So just be a freaking human being, treat the freaking students with respect, and can we please just hire the most qualified people to do the job? Because kids can’t even freaking read, and we’re having a discussion about like, is the double-blind hiring process increasing diversity when the person who’s implementing this policy isn’t even following it and deciding to hire her friends instead? Ridiculous!” she concluded.
Kasparian’s outspoken comments also reflect a growing debate over the role of DEI in schools and its impact on the core educational mission, mirroring concerns that such policies divert attention from essential academic priorities.
In response to the tensions at Amherst Middle School, a Title XI investigation was initiated, which concluded that there had been “severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive unwelcome conduct” at the school. This investigation led to the temporary leave of two minority staff members accused of discriminatory practices against LGBTQ+ students.
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