Openly gay actor Maulik Pancholy was arrested at a middle school anti-bullying rally after concerns were raised about his political activities and what two school board members called his “lifestyle.” The invitation from the lecture was rescinded.
Pancholy's scheduled appearance at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was unanimously overturned by the district's Board of Education at an April 15 public meeting.
“If you look into this guy, he labels himself an activist and he's proud of his lifestyle,” board member Bud Schaffner said at the meeting. I don't think it should be imposed on anyone.”
Trisha Comstock, a former parent at the school, started a Change.org petition to bring back the empathy and anti-bullying rally.
“What happened was homophobic. Anyone can come into the meeting and see it,” Comstack told TODAY.com. “This message board is causing real harm.”
Why wasn't Maulik Pancholy invited?
Board member Kelly Pottiger expressed concern that Pancholy, 50, would talk about “The Best at It,” a children's book about a gay Indian-American boy.
“It doesn't discriminate against his lifestyle. It's his choice,” Pottiger said at the meeting. “But he's the one talking about it.”
Pancholy played Jonathan, Alex Baldwin's devoted assistant, on the sitcom “30 Rock” and also provided the voice of Baljeet on “Phineas and Ferb.”
Pancholy's presentation on anti-bullying at Mountain View Middle School was canceled by an 8-0 vote. TODAY.com has reached out to Pancholy for comment.
Brooke Ryerson, an LGBTQ high school sophomore, attended Mountain View Middle School. Ryerson and his mother plan to express their disappointment at the next board meeting on May 6.
“It was going to be a rally about empathy and anti-bullying,” Ryerson, 16, told TODAY.com. “But for the board it doesn't matter. They are trying in every possible way to silence us.”
By “we” Ryerson refers to the gay community.
“They're sending a message within the school that we don't want our identities revealed,” Ryerson said. “I'm lucky to have friends and family who are so accepting, but it must be a shock to the kids who don't and feel even more like they're not wanted anywhere.”
How did the Board of Education decide?
According to Pancholy's website, the award-winning author will deliver a keynote address on the theme of “diversity and inclusion.” Pancholy, a self-described activist, served on President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Schaffner told TODAY.com in a phone interview that he was concerned that Pancholy would go “off script” and talk about politics.
“Politically motivated discussions take place at home, not in the classroom,” Schaffner said. “Several board members visited his website, and what stuck with all of us was that he was a political activist.”
Cumberland Valley School District spokeswoman Tracy Panzer told TODAY.com that principals are “working with staff to identify award-winning young adult authors to visit with our students.” Told.
Panzer said Pancholy's visit was not on the board's original agenda.
“However… one of our board members made a motion to revoke the invitation of author Maulik Pancholy to a visit scheduled for this year,” Panzer said. “Ultimately, the board resolved not to allow the visit.”
“This…may have saved my life.”
Tony Conte, a former student at Mountain View Middle School, shared an open letter to Schaffner on Facebook. In the post, Conte reflected on his experiences as a closeted gay teenager, saying, “Sometimes I thought about suicide.”
“Like many 'weird' kids, I was teased for reasons I didn't understand and had a really hard time forming friendships and growing into a healthy mindset that it was okay to be a little different.” Conte wrote. .
In high school, Conte said he became friends with another “completely different kid.”
“Before we became intimate, before we could share our problems with each other, he hanged himself,” Conte wrote.
“If I had heard from diverse voices like (Pancholy) in the auditorium that it was okay to be different, I think my middle school and high school experiences might have been different,” he said. continued. “This type of presentation could have saved lives, just like my friend's life.”
According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ students who attend LGBTQ-affirming schools are 30% less likely to be bullied by their peers. Pancholy's work focuses on youth from the AAPI community.
“As a child, I was often ashamed of who I was. I felt ashamed of being Indian. I was ashamed of being thin and small for my age. I was ashamed of being gay. I was made to feel ashamed of my identity,” Pancholy said in 2015. “And there were times when I was a child that I felt actually dangerous for who I was. Even as an adult, I continue to feel unsafe for who I am.”
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