Former middle school parents who were not invited by the board 30 locks Actor Maulik Pancholy has hit back after refusing to speak at an anti-bullying rally, starting a change.org petition calling for the openly gay actor's reinstatement.
Trisha Comstock said she was “deeply saddened” by the Cumberland Valley School Board's decision to cancel a May 22 assembly at Mountain View Middle School in Pennsylvania.
Comstock said in a change.org petition that Pancholy was expected to talk about empathy, anti-bullying and his book, but two board members spoke to him at an April 15 public meeting. He wrote that the board spoke unanimously when he expressed concerns about the “lifestyle.” I changed my appearance.
In a video posted and reported by Comstock. todayBud Schaffner, board member of I don't think it should be forced on people.”
Comstock said. today: “What happened is homophobic. Anyone can listen in on the meeting. This message board is where real harm is done.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Cumberland Valley School District Board, Pancholy and Comstock for comment.
At the board meeting, members are seen discussing the possibility of Pancholy discussing children's books. the best technician, Assembling. According to the publisher, the book tells the story of “a gay Indian-American boy coming back to himself.”
“It doesn't discriminate against his lifestyle. It's his choice,” members said at the meeting. “But he's the one talking about it.”
Meanwhile, Schaffner added: today: “Politically motivated debates are something that takes place at home, not in the classroom.” Several executives visited his website, but what stuck with us all was that he was a political activist. That is.”
According to his website, the actor “regularly gives keynote speeches on the topic of diversity and inclusion in corporate settings and at universities across the country.” His work includes being appointed by then-President Barack Obama in 2014 to the President's Advisory Council on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Pancholy played Alex Baldwin's loyal assistant Jonathan in the film. 30 lockshis appearance was rejected by an 8-0 vote.
“Being LGBTQ+ is not a little secret to protect our students,” Comstock said in the change.org petition. “If we had someone with Maurik's life experience, he would have been an inspiration to our students. It's important to teach children about diversity and inclusion from an early age.”
Comstock is pleading with the board to reverse its decision and reinstate Pancholy in Congress. “This shows her students that everyone deserves respect, regardless of their sexual orientation or identity,” she says.
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