Actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy was scheduled to give a speech against bullying at a middle school in Pennsylvania next month.
But the Cumberland Valley School Board canceled his appearance Monday, citing concerns about Pancholy’s activism and “lifestyle.”
Critics say the act is homophobic and have launched a petition to reinstate the event, as Pancholy is openly gay and came out in 2013. It’s starting.
Who is Maulik Pancholi?
Pancholy is an award-winning actor who has appeared on television, film, and Broadway.
His best known roles include the film Jonathan. 30 locksSanjay On weedthe voice of Baljeet from the popular Disney animated series, Phineas and Ferb.
He is also a children’s book author and has written two stories about a gay Indian-American boy growing up in a small Midwestern town and struggling with bullying and self-discovery.
In 2014, Pancholy was appointed by then-President Barack Obama to the President’s Advisory Council on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, where he co-founded the Campaign to Combat AAPI Bullying. On her own website, Pancholy describes this role and several of her similar involvements in AAPI awareness, pride, and anti-bullying campaigns as “activism.”
According to his website, he has spoken at schools about bullying and diversity.
Another school in Pennsylvania, Tohickon Middle School in Doylestown, praised his speaking engagements.
“Your message of accepting and celebrating our differences is sorely needed,” reads the nomination on the school’s website. “Both the assembly and the writer’s workshop ended wonderfully. For the rest of the day, the teachers stopped me in the hallway and thanked me for arranging your visit.”
What was the gathering for?
Pancholy was scheduled to speak at a lecture on May 22. Rally at Mountain View Middle School in Cumberland County.
“Each year, Mountain View Middle School’s instructional team schedules author presentations as a unique educational experience for our students,” a district spokesperson told PennLive. “Authors often give keynote speeches and may also offer book purchase opportunities as part of their visit.”
Why was Pancholi’s talk at a junior high school canceled?
At Monday night’s Cumberland Valley School District board meeting, members voted unanimously to cancel Pancholy’s presentation, citing concerns about his activism and the LGBTQ+ characters in his book.
“If you investigate this person, he will label himself an activist,” a longtime official said. Board member Bud Schaffner said at the meeting. “He takes pride in his lifestyle, and I don’t think that should be forced on his students at any age.”
School board member Brian Drup said at the meeting that he was concerned that the Pancholy council could violate the district’s policy of not hosting overtly political events. The rule was adopted in response to the backlash the district faced when its high school hosted a rally for Donald Trump in 2016, according to PennLive.
School board members admitted they did not know what Pancholy’s talk would be about. But Schaffner said, “He doesn’t want to take the risk.”
What are the school board members saying?
Kelly Pottiger, a member of the local chapter of the right-wing activist group Moms for Liberty, spoke about Pancholy’s children’s books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and her experiences with “bullying prevention and empathy.” He said he was worried that he might talk about it. And inclusion. ”
“Again, that doesn’t discriminate against his lifestyle. It’s his choice, but he’s the one to talk about it,” Pottiger said.
Jevon Ford said the fact that the event occurred while he was a student led him to support canceling it. But he said he supports evening appearances where community members can decide if they want to go.
Board President Greg Rausch initially objected, saying, “We’re not going to sit there and discriminate against individuals because we don’t know what they want to talk about,” but ultimately supported the move to cancel the event. .
How did the community react?
Parents, students and local residents slammed the cancellation, calling the decision “homophobic.”
Brooke Ryerson, an LGBTQ+ high school sophomore who attended Mountain View Middle School, told Today.com that she believes this is an attempt to silence gay students and the LGBTQ+ community.
“They’re sending a message that they don’t want our identities to be known within the school,” Ryerson said.
Ryerson and her mother plan to attend the next school board meeting. May 6th, to voice opposition to the cancellation.
“If someone with Maurik’s life experiences would have been an inspiration to our students,” said Trisha Comstock, whose two sons attend the Cumberland Valley school. She said, “It’s important to teach children about diversity and inclusion from an early age.”
Comstock launched a change.org petition in hopes of reinstating Congress. So far, more than 1,600 signatures have been collected.
Brittany Hadley, a Cumberland Valley school parent, wrote in the petition that her child was excited when she came home with a flyer announcing the meeting, and was “deeply upset” when she learned the meeting was canceled. “I’m doing it,” he wrote.
Did Pancholi say anything?
On Thursday night, Pancholy released a statement expressing his disappointment in the school board’s decision and his gratitude to the community that rallied around him.
“My ‘activism’ when visiting schools is to let all young people know that they are seen,” Pancholy said. “That’s the power of books. They build empathy. Why are school boards so afraid of it?”
