Pennsylvania school board cancels gay '30 Rock' actor's anti-bullying talk, citing his 'lifestyle'
Openly gay actor Maulik Pancholy was disinvited from speaking at a middle school anti-bullying assembly after concerns were raised about his political activism and what two school board members called his “lifestyle.”
Openly gay actor Maulik Pancholy was disinvited from speaking at a middle school anti-bullying assembly after concerns were raised about his political activism and what two school board members called his “lifestyle.”
Pancholy’s scheduled appearance at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was unanimously overturned by the district’s school board in a public meeting on April 15.
“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.
Trisha Comstock, a former parent at the school, started a Change.org petition to reinstate the empathy and anti-bullying assembly.
“What happened is homophobic. Anyone can go and watch the meeting,” Comstack tells TODAY.com. “This board is close to causing some real harm.”
Rating: 5