A Pennsylvania school board’s decision to cancel “30 Rock” actor Maulik Pancholy’s talk over “lifestyle,” has angered thousands. According to the Today Show, Pancholy, who is gay, was supposed to give a talk about anti-bullying initiatives.
Pancholy had been scheduled to appear at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. However, at an April 15 meeting of the Cumberland Valley School Board, a unanimous vote canceled the appearance and the anti-bullying assembly.
“If you research this individual, he labels himself as an activist, he is proud of his lifestyle and I don’t think that should be imposed upon our students at any age,” board member Bud Shaffner said at the meeting per NBC News.
Pancholy addressed the decision in an Instagram post on April 18.
“When I visit schools, my ‘activism’ is to let all young people know that they’re seen. To let them know that they matter. When I talk about the characters in my books feeling ‘different,’ I’m always surprised by how many young people raise their hands — regardless of their identities and backgrounds — wanting to share about the ways in which they, too, feel different,” Pancholy wrote according to The Today Show.
“That’s the power of books. They build empathy. I wonder why a school board is so afraid of that?” he added.
Parents like Trisha Comstock have called the cancellation homophobic. Comstock has started a petition to reinstate the assembly.
On Wednesday, April 24, the school board will hold a special meeting, during which the superintendent will briefly address the assembly, FOX 43 reports.
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