Education activist Laurie Cardoza Moore told Fox News Digital she has significant concerns about Trump's Deputy Education Secretary pick.
"I decided to call on President Trump to rescind his nomination of Penny Schwinn for the deputy secretary of Education appointment because of the policies that she implemented here in the state of Tennessee. You know, I fought for a couple of years for Gov. Lee to call for her resignation because of her, her policies, her values," Moore said.
"But under her leadership, and this is what's important for the audience to understand, the children in Tennessee — and this is not just Tennessee because she's been to Texas and Florida — but our kids were subjected to pornographic and anti-Semitic content in library books, for example, ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ was one of them. She exposed Tennessee children to dark content like the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, all of which violate child indecency laws and obscenity laws here in the state of Tennessee, which is really troubling to me. She developed a plan to conduct child welfare checks on Tennessee children from birth to 18 to make sure they had their vaccinations."
Moore expressed concerns that the Berkeley-educated Schwinn hired a math expert in Tennessee, Rachael Maves, who promoted "math equity" in California, along with Schwinn's support of the Wit and Wisdom program, which critics say is a mask for CRT.
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Tennessee Commissioner of Education Dr Penny Schwinn testified at the House Education Committee on Capitol Hill on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
"Anytime someone claims their desired outcome is equity, understand they’re pushing a communist agenda," former NCAA swimmer and conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted on X. "NO to Penny Schwinn."
Country music star John Rich also criticized Schwinn in a post on X, saying that Trump's decision needs to be "reversed."
Other conservatives came to Schwinn's defense, including journalist Chris Rufo, who is considered the most effective critic of Critical Race Theory in many conservative circles.
"President Trump and Secretary McMahon selected Penny for a reason, and we should all work together to make sure she is successful," Rufo wrote on X.
Schwinn's appointment also earned praise from GOP Sen. Tim Scott, who posted on X, "The closest thing to magic in America is a quality education. With @realDonaldTrump, @Linda_McMahon, and Penny Schwinn leading our education policy, we will empower parents and prioritize students."
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"God does not give brains out based on zip code or income. Let’s unleash school choice so all students can thrive."
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X that McMahon and Schwinn are "both champions on parental empowerment and education freedom through universal school choice we’re implementing in Arkansas."
Many conservatives have made the case that Trump has a "mandate" from the voters to appoint whoever he sees fit to these high-profile positions, but Moore called Schwinn a "red flag" who will not adhere to Trump's agenda in the department, specifically his plan to downsize or even eliminate the department.
"Somehow somebody has put the bug in Trump's ear that he should nominate her," Moore told Fox News Digital. "But President Trump, you know, I know that he's very concerned about the future and the state of education, and Penny Schwinn is the last person. She would embarrass him ultimately down the road because she would implement her left policies, her Berkeley-educated policies, and introduce them to the whole country. Very dangerous."
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/red-flag-education-activist-rails-against-dangerous-trump-nominee-to-key-education-post