Principal calls parents 'whackos,' 'pushy' for speaking out against critical race theory — and apologizes after her emailed insults come to light

An Arizona public school principal issued an apology after calling parents "whackos" and "pushy" for contesting critical race theory, Young America's Foundation reported.

What are the details?

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the outlet said it obtained internal emails penned by Desert Valley Elementary School Principal Tonja Neve that targeted nearly dozen parents who spoke at a Dec. 10 school board meeting in opposition to a proposed curriculum that would promote elements of critical race theory.

One parent who spoke during the meeting asked the district to "stop diluting student education with politically correct, feel-good propaganda."

Another parent said, "Before the governing school board today is a vote for a new curriculum that appears well-intentioned, appealing, even empathetic. But in actuality it further divides us. ... It's absurd. ... You cannot cure racism with more racism."

Parents Stand Up To Proposed CRT Curriculum at School Board Meetingyoutu.be

What did the principal say?

"That board meeting was ridiculous," Neve wrote in one email dated Feb. 1, YAF said. "I'm sick of us giving these whackos a platform to spread propaganda without making any correction statements."

Image source: Young America's Foundation, used by permission

The outlet also said Neve conferred with Jennifer Mundy, whom YAF said is "one of the architects of the new proposed curriculum," in another Feb. 1 email on how they could "quiet" the "pushy voices" of dissenting parents through a court ruling that "reinforces the power of principals to set boundaries in parent-school communication."

Image source: Young America's Foundation, used by permission

What the the district and the principal have to say?

A Peoria Unified School District spokeswoman told YAF that the district wasn't aware of Neve's "name calling" and followed up with the principal.

The outlet said Neve offered the following statement: "My comments were unprofessional, and I apologize for that ... my comments were in regards to audience members who were coming to our board and calling teachers out by name and misconstruing and devaluing the hard work they do. My comment was made in the heat of the moment and in defense of my profession and colleagues."

She added that she takes "responsibility for what I did wrong," YAF reported.

Anything else?

Turns out Neve was announced in March as the new principal of Main Street School in Exeter, New Hampshire, and that she and her family will move there before she begins her duties July 1.

Here's another video of a school board meeting with longer and more complete public comments:

Peoria Unified School District parents speak out against Critical Race Theory-based curriculumyoutu.be