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The assistant principal of a Greenwich, Connecticut, elementary school came under fire Tuesday for admitting to engaging in discriminatory hiring practices and the deliberate political indoctrination of students.
While being recorded by undercover Project Veritas journalists, Cos Cobb Elementary School Assistant Principal Jeremy Boland confessed that he would not hire Catholic applicants. “If they were raised hardcore Catholic, it’s like, they’re brainwashed – you can never change their mindset,” Boland said.
And the problem with that mindset, according to Boland, is that Catholics tend to be more politically conservative, which does not align with his goal of teaching students to think in a “progressive way.”
But, seemingly aware of the implications of that goal, the assistant principal noted that he is careful not to make his intentions obvious.
“Believe it or not, the open-minded, more progressive teachers are actually more savvy about delivering a Democratic message without really ever having to mention their politics,” he advised. “It’s subtle. They’ll never say, ‘Oh, this is a liberal or a Democratic way of doing this.’ They’ll just make that the norm. … That’s how you get away with it.”
And while admitting that parents can sometimes get in the way of his plans, Boland held that ultimately, he works “for the kid,” not the child’s parents.
“So, the parents feel as though it’s their responsibility to shape the schools, which then shape the kids, right?” he asked. “So, because I can’t get past the parents, do I really have as much of an influence on the kids as I want? I try, in my own way, but right now my job is to hire the right teachers.”
As for his hiring process, Boland said he tailors his interview questions so that applicants will divulge their personal beliefs without being directly asked.
For example, one interview question he said he intended to start asking was how an applicant would approach a “non-binary” or transgender student. If an applicant would not affirm that they would address such students in accordance with their chosen identifiers, Boland said that the applicant would not be considered.
“If you have somebody who’s hardcore religious or hardcore conservative, they will probably say something detrimental, to the effect [of], ‘Well, I don’t think kids have enough knowledge to make that decision for themself,’” he explained.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, he added: “You’re out. You’re done.”
Further, Boland admitted that he also discriminates based on age because, “Sometimes, the older you get, the more set in your ways, the more conservative you get.”
Noting that he is aware that he cannot legally engage in such discrimination, Boland added: “I can’t tell them, ‘I’m not interviewing you because you’re older.’ I just don’t interview them.”
Under Connecticut law, it is prohibited for an employer to refuse to employ an individual based on religious creed or age. It is also prohibited under Title VII.
Following the shocking report, Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo – a former attendee of Cos Cob Elementary – called for an investigation into its allegations.
“The Veritas video just released, and I see no reason to suspect it is not accurate, is shameful and needs a full investigation into not only this administrator, but the damage caused to applicants, past and present,” Camillo said on his Facebook page. “Our kids deserve better. Our schools deserve better. Our town deserves better.”
He continued: “To think that Roman Catholic applicants may have applied for teaching positions and not received proper consideration due to their religion seems like something from a bygone era, not 2022. According to this assistant principal, Conservatives, older applicants, and others deemed not progressive were not given an opportunity afforded others.”
Adding that “brainwashing and indoctrination” should not be taking place in public schools, Camillo said he was calling for a complete review of the hiring practices at Cos Cobb. He stated, “The goal should always be education, not indoctrination.”
In recent years, political indoctrination in schools has become a source of unease for many parents who fear their children are being exposed to discriminatory ideologies, like those at the core of critical race theory, and inappropriately sexual content.
Echoing Camillo’s concern, Connecticut state Rep. Kimberly Fiorello said on her Facebook page, “This is what we’re afraid of – that some petty bigot is using our schools to make our children hate members of their own community.”
She continued: “This elementary school assistant principal is deliberately breaking our state’s non-discrimination laws to impose his progressive ideologies on young children. He is also, deliberately, hiring teachers based on their willingness to ignore parents’ involvement in their own children’s education.”
Stating that Boland should be “immediately fired,” Fiorello said the school’s principal should also be investigated for lack of oversight, adding, “We should know if these discriminatory practices are widespread and if they are tolerated in more of our schools.”
As the shocking report continues to make waves, it may be that other whistleblowers will be emboldened to come forward with additional information revealing just how widespread such practices are in this country.