“We recognize how truly great America’s founding was, and I believe that our children should be taught about the Founding Fathers, founding documents, and, if children are untethered from this country, what would our future look like?”
— Suparna Dutta
Suparna Dutta, an Indian immigrant appointed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to the State Board of Education was rejected following a contentious exchange with another board member on socialism. “I’m just a proud immigrant standing up for what I believe is a fantastic country, the best country in the world,” Dutta told Fox News. “We recognize how truly great America’s founding was, and I believe that our children should be taught about the Founding Fathers, founding documents, and, if children are untethered from this country, what would our future look like?”
Dutta, who was appointed by Youngkin in July, was set to be confirmed by the Senate of Virginia recently when a last-minute Democrat amendment to remove her from nominations passed on a party-line vote, according to a progressive group that tracks the state’s General Assembly.
The ousting followed a heated exchange during a board meeting last week reviewing proposed changes to history and social science standards in Virginia public schools. Two of the foundational principles outlined in the learning standards are that the “Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are remarkable documents” and that socialism and communism are “incompatible with democracy and individual freedoms”.
Board member Anne Holton — who is married to Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine — said she was “uncomfortable” with the language, to which Dutta replied: “Socialism is just about as bad as communism.”
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“Senate Democrats were shockingly claiming that a public school parent isn’t qualified to serve on the Board of Education. She is a mother and advocate for parents’ rights, she is an immigrant and an advocate for Asian American rights, she is an engineer and advocate for STEM in education.”
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“She is not only qualified, she epitomizes parental involvement in our schools and we need her voice on our Board of Education.”
— Youngkin
Dutta reiterated her belief later that America’s schoolchildren should be taught about the values found in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
“I feel that political indoctrination has no place in education in our classrooms, and it’s mind-boggling to me how anyone growing up in this country wouldn’t learn about it,” Dutta said, adding, “The only thing I can think of is that they truly don’t believe that America is something to be proud of.”
Fox News’ Todd Piro asked Dutta if the board’s Democratic members toed the party line on defending immigrants and people of colour and defended her during the meeting. “Did any Democrats stand up for you?” he asked.
“It was incredible,” Dutta responded. “When blatant lies and mistruths and smears are peddled on the floor of the State Senate by Senator Hashmi… not a single Democrat senator questions it… it makes one wonder…”
In a statement, Youngkin said Senate Democrats were “shockingly claiming that a public school parent isn’t qualified to serve on the Board of Education. She is a mother and advocate for parents’ rights, she is an immigrant and an advocate for Asian American rights, she is an engineer and advocate for STEM in education.” He also said, “She is not only qualified, she epitomizes parental involvement in our schools and we need her voice on our Board of Education.”
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