MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania school district is canceling actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy’s plans due to concerns about what district leaders describe as his activism and “lifestyle.” The scheduled appearance was canceled.
Pancholy, who is gay, was scheduled to speak against bullying at a May 22 rally at Mountain View Middle School in Cumberland County. However, the district’s school board met in full Monday night after some members expressed concerns and others pointed to the district’s policy of not hosting overtly political events, according to news outlets. It is said that they unanimously resolved to cancel his lecture. The policy was enacted after the district was criticized for hosting a rally for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Pancholy, 48, is an award-winning actor for his roles on TV shows “30 Rock” and “Weeds,” as well as the voice of Baljeet in the Disney animated series “Phineas and Ferb.” He also writes children’s books and was appointed by then-President Barack Obama to the President’s Advisory Council on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2014, where he co-founded the Campaign to Combat AAPI Bullying. did.
Pancholy’s appearance was scheduled by the school’s leadership team, which annually selects authors who present “unique educational experiences to students,” the district said.
Discussing his appearance at Monday night’s meeting, school board members said they were unsure what Pancholy’s presentation would be about, but one board member said Pancholy was unsure of the possibilities it would entail. “I don’t want to take the risk,” one said.
“When you research this guy, he labels himself an activist,” Bud Schaffner said, according to PennLive. “He takes pride in his lifestyle, and I don’t think that should be imposed on his students, no matter their age.”
The board’s vote drew criticism from several parents, students and community members who called the decision “homophobic.” Some people have started an online petition calling for Pancholi to be reinstated.
In a statement posted on social media, Pancholy said she never saw herself represented in stories as a middle school student, and that books featuring South Asian American and LGBTQ+ characters “existed.” I didn’t.” Years later, when he started writing his own novels, he still had trouble finding them, he said.
“That’s why I wrote the book in the first place,” Pancholy wrote. “Because representation is important.”
Pancholy said the purpose of her school visits was “to let all young people know that they are seen. To let them know that they matter.” When he talks about how his characters feel “different,” he always mentions how many children of different identities and backgrounds want to share that they too feel different. He said he was surprised.
“That is the power of books: they create empathy,” Pancholy wrote. “Why is the school board so afraid of it?”
