Teachers who oppose critical race theory are muzzled by their principal at an Ohio private school, according to two moms whose children were expelled after launching a campaign against 'woke' curriculum.
Andrea Gross and Amy Gonzalez made the claim on Fox & Friends First on Wednesday after Columbus Academy sent them a letter informing them that their children will not be reenrolled at the school, where tuition fees cost up to $30,000 a year.
The school said Gross and Gonzalez leveled 'false and misleading attacks' on the school and its leadership through their 'inflammatory' campaign, including making claims that students were being subjected to bomb sniffing dogs on campus.
Their actions amounted to a breach of their contract with the institution in which both parties promise to nurture a 'positive and constructive working relationship.'
Gross had two children enrolled in the school while Gonzalez had one.
In their appearance on Fox, the moms slammed the school for punishing their children for the activism of their parents - and claimed that teachers have had an equally difficult time voicing their opposition to CRT and other liberal ideologies being brought into the classroom.
Parents Andrea Gross (left) and Amy Gonzalez (right) were informed that their children will not be reenrolled at Columbus Academy, where tuition fees cost up to $30,000 a year
'I feel like it is unfortunate that when you are speaking out and you are trying to say your truth, unfortunately there are people who want to retaliate against you. In this case, they retaliated against our children, who are innocent,' Gross said.
Gonzalez chimed in, saying they weren't only fighting for the students, but the teachers of the school as well.
'We tried, in the best way possible, to represent and speak up not only for our children but also our teachers,' Gonzalez said.
'At a private school, they did not have a union. I believe a lot of it is coming from The National Association of Independent Schools.'
Gonzalez also claimed that teachers didn't have the proper support to come forward with their own issues.
'We feel like how are they going to come forward?' Gonzalez asked. 'They have one-year contracts, which whenever they have any grievances, they don’t have an H.R. department, they have to take that to the head of school as well.'
The moms added that they asked for a 'confidential reporting line' for teachers and were rebuffed.
It's not clear if any teachers have attempted to complain about the teaching of CRT at the school.
Tucker Carlson also spoke about the growing furor at Columbus Academy during his show on Tuesday night - comparing the school to the Soviet Union.
'In the past year, Columbus Academy, which has a long history of academic excellence, has become race-obsessed,' Carlson said.
'School administrators aren’t working to help unwed teenage mothers or improve black neighborhoods. That might actually make the country better. If you want to talk about race, maybe you could improve someone’s life. But they’re not.
'Instead, they’re doing what all guilty white liberals do. They’ve adopted the same familial racist curriculum: some people are better than others based on the color of their skin,' Carlson continued.
'A lot of parents went along with it. They didn’t say a word. They didn’t know what was happening, or they were too afraid to speak up. But two mothers decided they weren’t going to have it, so they objected.
Speaking of the two moms, he said: 'Their mission was to stop the bigotry and return the school to its academic mission: teaching kids to read, teaching them history, showing them to do math.
'Last month, instead of punishing them, the school decided to punish their children. Columbus Academy kicked their three daughters out of school. They expelled them for what their mother did. So, challenge the regime and we’ll hurt your children. The Soviets did it. Columbus Academy did it too.'
Carlson concluded, 'In other words, if you dare to question us, we won’t disagree with you, we’ll attack you, well hurt your children, and we’ll accuse you of assault. You’re making us afraid.'
Tucker Carlson spoke about the growing furor at Columbus Academy during his show on Tuesday night, comparing the school administration's tactics to the Soviet Union
Columbus Academy pictured. The Ohio private school expelled three students whose moms led a coalition campaigning against Critical Race Theory being taught to their children
In a letter sent to the parents, seen by Fox News, CA Head of School Melissa Soderberg and Board of Trustees President Jonathan Kass said Gross and Gonzalez had caused 'pain, and even fear for physical safety, among students, families, faculty, and staff.'
The parents 'pursued a course of action that has been anything but civil, respectful and faithful to the facts.'
'Instead you have engaged in a campaign against Columbus Academy through a sustained, and increasingly inflammatory, series of false and misleading attacks on the School and its leadership,' reads the letter.
'Your actions caused pain, and even fear for physical safety, among students, families, faculty, and staff.'
The letter also says the two moms pushed 'false' claims that bomb sniffing dogs were patrolling the school and used a 'sham' video as part of their campaign.
'Among other things, no bomb sniffing dogs were brought to campus – the Gahanna Police Department does not even have dogs, bomb sniffing or otherwise – and there were never police cars with flashing lights,' the letter reads.
The letter claims the two mothers plotted how they and other parents could withhold paying their children's tuition to the school 'until your demands are met.'
'You have taken steps to explore how you, and with your encouragement, others, could withhold tuition payments and place them in escrow until your demands are met,' it reads.
'You have also discussed pursuing charitable entity status for your organization, in the stated hope of persuading Columbus Academy donors to re-direct their contributions to your organization where you could use the funds as leverage to pursue your agenda.'
Columbus Academy pictured displaying a banner that says it 'Stands Against Racism'
The two moms founded the Pro-CA Coalition back in January, campaigning against what they say is 'political extremism and a culture of fear and administration' at Columbus Academy.
As part of the campaign they say they have collected sworn testaments from other parents accusing the school of pushing progressive ideas about race on students and discriminating against conservative thinking.
Around 400 other parents of Columbus Academy students are said to have joined the campaign.
Gross and Gonzalez blasted the decision to deny their 'innocent' children's reenrolment as 'retaliation' against them for spearheading the campaign against the school.
They accused the school's leadership of trying to silence them and 'intimidate' other parents who speak out.
'The school's retaliation will forever affect my innocent children,' Gross said in a statement, per PRNewswire.
Gonzalez called the move 'retaliatory and discriminatory.'
They also pushed back on the school's claims that there were no bomb sniffing dogs on the grounds telling Fox they have several sworn affidavits testifying to incidents at the school, including some in relation to this.
A Columbus spokesperson defended the decision telling Fox that waging a public campaign of 'inflammatory attacks' if a violation of the school's enrollment agreement.
'Columbus Academy does not comment on the circumstances of any student or family,' the spokeperson said.
'However, any parent who waged a public campaign of false and misleading statements and inflammatory attacks harmful to the employees, the reputation, or the financial stability of Columbus Academy would be in clear violation of the Enrollment Agreement and would be denied re-enrollment for the following school year.'
The school did not provide examples of such 'attacks' or 'false or misleading statements' and the two moms denied attempting to withhold payments to the school.
However, during a Blunt Force Truth podcast interview in April, Gross and Gonzalez discussed the possibility of withholding funds.
They also spoke of it being 'easier to go for an individual than an institution.'
The topic of withholding tuition payments was also brought up in a May Zoom call, the moms told Fox, but insisted they did not follow through with any such plan.
Gross and Gonzalez are just some of the parents who have gone to war with elite private schools across the US over the teaching of Critical Race Theory.
Critical Race Theory highlights how historical inequities and racism continue to shape public policy and social conditions today.
It has become a key focus on the curriculum of schools over the last year amid the nationwide reckoning for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd.
But it has starkly divided opinion.
Conservatives allege that students are being taught a warped version of American history that claims the impact of slavery remains present throughout society.
Critics say the teachings reduce people to 'privileged' or 'oppressed' based on skin color.
But supporters say it is vital to understand how race impacts society in order to eliminate racism.
The school said Gross and Gonzalez leveled 'false and misleading attacks' on the school and its leadership through their 'inflammatory' campaign
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