DPI’s Truitt tosses anti-CRT employee UNDER the school bus
The self-proclaimed “conservative” superintendent of North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has pretty well told a former NC governor’s school faculty member he is ON HIS OWN.
Dr. David Phillips is suing DPI for wrongful termination allegedly because he was an outspoken opponent of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Instead of flexing her alleged “conservative bona fides” and aiding Phillips, Truitt has decided to decapitate and eviscerate him in a scathing letter to the members of the General Assembly:
A letter sent to members of the General Assembly by Republican state Superintendent Catherine Truitt rebuts many of the claims made by a teacher at the N.C. Governor’s School program who was fired in 2021.
The Governor’s School is a summer residential program lasting four weeks for “gifted and talented high school students, integrating academic disciplines, the arts, and unique courses on each of two campuses.” Its operations are overseen by officials with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, N.C. Governor’s School Coordinator Rodney Allen, and Director Office of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education Sneha Shah-Coltrane.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Wake County by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of English professor Dr. David Phillips, the firing came after he spoke out about “the harms of the racially divisive ideology embraced by the school.”
The case summary says Phillips had spoken out against the school’s “increasing adoption of critical theory, an ideology that views everyone and everything through the lens of characteristics like race, sex, and religion, labeling people as perpetual oppressors or victims based on group membership alone.”
Phillips had taught at the Governor’s School for eight years, as well as teaching English at Wake Tech and Guilford Community Colleges. In the lawsuit, Phillips also asserts there was “no appeal or other recourse” offered following his firing.
Truitt writes in the letter dated Dec. 28, 2022 that she read media reports of the story and took time to gather information.
“Like all of you, this story gave me great pause and concern. This was the first time I had ever heard about this situation because a) I very rarely get involved with HR matters as state superintendent, particularly for employees hired for limited periods of time; and b) the teacher in question had never reached out to me with a complaint,” Truitt wrote.
She says most, if not all of the Critical Race Theory claims Phillips alleges took place from 2013 to 2021, before she made several changes that took effect in 2022.
Truitt adds that the school is typically planned a year ahead of time and the 2021 session planning took place before she was sworn in to office. She says her immediate attention was on the problems at hand dealing with COVID-related issues.
The superintendent responded to the media attention over the story and allegations she directed the inclusion of any questionable materials.
“What I find most remarkable about this situation is that I have been vehemently against the teaching of topics characterized by CRT in our classrooms. [….]
THIS is what you call a DAMNED LIE. Here’s an email where Truitt praised the institution of a “framework” developed by the National Equity Project (NEP) — which, of course, focuses quite a bit on the Marxist concepts of equity, equitable outcomes, and “the oppressed.” Not reading, math or science, but “the oppressed.” JUST LIKE CRT DOES.
MORE:
[…] Why a person claiming to have been terminated because he took on these topics would not reach out directly to the elected conservative state superintendent who has also taken on this fight (and whose agency oversees Governor’s School) is confusing,” Truitt writes.[…]
Easy. He knows you’re NOT conservative. Also, he’s likely aware that you actually are a big fan of CRT, and would be of little to no help to him. (Any questions?)
MORE:
[…] “But it is clear to me now, after reading this former temporary employee’s file, that his own truth is different from reality. It is very clear from the HR files, previously dismissed EEO case, multiple affidavits, and other pertinent information that this individual was dismissed from their temporary, time-limited position for their conduct, not their content, inside the classroom.”[…]
*Nice.* Slander Phillips to the WHOLE General Assembly so he will be absolutely radioactive to any future employment searches. (Publicly releasing personnel info like this HAS to be illegal.)
And you wonder why so many people remain silent about their grievances against the state. Who can compete with the state and its endless supply of lawyers and money?
MORE:
[…] She says that she supports all types of thoughts and perspectives inside the sessions and that instructors sit in various places along the political spectrum.[…]
Having heard previous reports about Governor’s School, and having been a conservative in academia myself, I can bet there aren’t many — if any — conservative faculty members willing to publicly ID themselves as such. Look at what happens to you if you do.
MORE:
[…] “Nobody would be let go from their position if they were genuinely providing a learning environment that was engaging and open. That is not what this former temporary employee did,” Truitt says in the letter.[…]
Wow. Piling on and kicking a man while he’s down, aren’t we sweetheart?
MORE:
[…] In response to the story and subsequent attention, she closes saying the Department of Public Instruction will draft an answer to the complaint and provide more relevant details.
Truitt is not named as a defendant in the suit.
Okay. If her agency’s lawyers are coming with a response, and she is not named as a defendant, then WHY write this letter?
Legal eagle friends tell me that, by writing this, she has just made herself a central figure in this case. *Nice going, sweetheart.*
MORE:
[…] “I want to assure you that the accusations of curriculum decisions prior to my administration have been addressed. It’s not possible for me to verify what did or did not happen under a previous State Superintendent’s watch, but wokeness and inappropriate materials for our students should never enter the classroom,” Truitt writes, also saying she is proud of the work done at DPI to clean up multiple divisions that lacked oversight by previous leadership.[…]
Under a previous superintendent’s watch? You were in office in 2021, darlin’. YOU. Not somebody else.
By the way, it’s a *nice* move trying to blame this mess on your predecessor, a fellow Republican and top aide to senator-elect Ted Budd.
Blaming your predecessor. *Talk about a real profile in leadership. Talk about a profile in courage* …
*Wasn’t it Harry Truman who said “The buck stops with FDR”?*
By the way, I have a pile of other stuff that seriously raises doubts about her “clean up” claims at DPI. Stay tuned …
Truitt is the poster child for all that ills the party of SUCK: anti-White, anti-truth, pro-CRT (even though they campaign saying they will get to the bottom of it), clandestine groomers. I hope she is destroyed in court.
Notably her sidekick is Jamey Falkenbury of Dan Forrest fame. The same Dan Forrest, who as Lt Gov did nothing to stop the rollout of CRT/SEL into our education system. The same Dan Forrest, whose other side kick, Hal Weatherman, who ran the worst gubernatorial campaign ever, wants to run as Lt Governor.
And speaking of Lt Governors, where is ours?? Robinson talks good game but produces nothing. This Governor’s School bigotry happened on his watch, too.
There must be nothing short of a total purge of the party of SUCK.
Like so many republicans before, voted for her once and shame on me…
Can’t wait to vote in the primary for someone else. Primary time is when she’s fired; not elect a dem to replace.
And don’t send up another Rino, Establishment, McCrory, Berger, Moore, lackey as her replacement.
We need one strong conservative challenger to Truitt to take this leftwing twit out in the primary. Who will it be?
NEVER TRUITT.
Note how rino outlet nsj news waited until Truitt’s wacky letter before reporting on the lawsuit brought by a national conservative law group (ADF). Could they be in on this whole pathetic “leadership” by our supt? I vote absolutely!