Following a public outcry, a Pennsylvania school board has reinstated Maulik Pancholy’s planned author visit to a middle school, the New York Times reports.
Last week, the Cumberland Valley School District voted unanimously to rescind the out gay actor’s invitation to speak about his children’s books, The Best at It and Nikhil Out Loud, at Mountain View Middle School. Bud Shaffner, one of the school board members, said at the meeting, “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.”
The cancellation made headlines and drew objections from people including Dr. Mark Blanchard, the Cumberland Valley School District superintendent, who called it a “disappointment,” and Mountain View Middle School student Flora Hicks, Pancholy’s niece, who told the school board, “Your choice to cancel the assembly has also sent out a very important message to the LGBTQ community that they aren’t accepted."
Pancholy himself spoke out against the cancellation, saying, “When I visit schools, my ‘activism’ is to let all young people know that they’re seen. To let them know that they matter.…That’s the power of books. They build empathy. I wonder why a school board is so afraid of that?”
On Wednesday, the school board voted 5-4 to reinstate Pancholy’s visit. Board member Shaffner reversed himself at the meeting and apologized, saying, “I will accept the blame because of the insensitive word I spoke on April 15. I fully understand the interpretation of my poor word choice.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
