Taconic High Speaker Booted for Passing Out 'Political Material'
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A guest speaker at Taconic High School was escorted out of the building after school officials said they passed around unapproved political material.
Principal Matthew Bishop sent out an email and voice message to the school community explaining some of what happened.
The event was an approved community outreach activity to write letters to veterans. The principal said the guest speaker had provided officials with the materials to be used for the activity, which were reviewed and approved.
"However, the guest speaker began distributing politically motivated materials that were not previously approved," Bishop said. "As soon as staff became aware of this, we immediately asked that guest speaker to leave. ...
"The unauthorized materials distributed today were not part of what was shared with us beforehand. This was a breach of trust and we wanted to be clear. The distribution of these materials is not endorsed by our school in any way."
Bishop did not identify who the speaker or what the unauthorized materials were. Some parents have pointed to a Turning Point USA representative and that the political material was a red wristband that says "We are Charlie Kirk."
An image posted to Facebook shows a group of male students showing off the bracelets with a woman wearing a shirt with a "Club America" logo on it. Club America is high school chapter of Turning Point, a conservative nonprofit founded Kirk.
The organization says it promotes the principles of "freedom, free markets and limited government. It also operates the "Professor Watchlist" which has been used to intimidate and harass instructors who are seen as leftists.
Kirk was a rightwing commentator and podcaster who was shot and killed last year at one of the "debate" events he frequently held at colleges and universities.
Parents have posted texts from their children about the event, with one student saying "it was a whole meme and everyone wanted one," later selling her's for $5. She said it was called "patriotism merch or whatever."
Another student posted the classmates wanted to now about her role and she told them that it was her job.
"The first thing she had said to us was im not here do discuss what side I support she said this is just my job that I applied for [sic]," the student wrote. "Politics shouldn't be shared to students but the information that many of us gathered was useful. Talking about charlie kirk, is just like talking about any other activist."
"We take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe and appropriate learning environment and are recommitting to strengthening our guest speaker approval process," said Bishop. "The program was designed to build community and gather student voice. And not to endorse any political views."
Still, he said, the activity was an overall positive experience and that "most of our students had today, or the many other ways they were able to connect and give back to our community."
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