Dad pulls daughter from ‘woke’ $54K-a-year private school in NYC that ‘brainwashes students with cancel culture agenda’
A DAD has decided to pull his daughter from ‘ $54K-a-year private school in New York City as he believes it “brainwashes students with cancel culture agenda.”
In a 1,700-word letter, Andrew Gutmann announced he chose not to re-enrol his daughter as he slammed Brearley School’s “cowardly and appalling lack of leadership by appeasing an anti-intellectual, illiberal mob.”
The dad has accused the school of trying to “brainwash” students rather than promoting critical thinking.
“By viewing every element of education, every aspect of history, and every facet of society through the lens of skin color and race, we are desecrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” he wrote in the letter that was published Bari Weiss’ blog on April 13.
Gutmann, told the New York Post on Saturday that he mailed the letter to 650 different families because “someone had to speak out.”
“She hasn’t been brainwashed yet by the school — but she’s had me at home,” he said about his daughter.
“I’m not so sure that’s true of the other kids.”
“Someone had to do it,” he added.
“Someone had to light the match. Everyone’s so afraid of cancel culture.
“We’re going to destroy the city, we’re going to destroy the country.”
Gutmann who runs his family’s chemical business, said he does not regret writing the letter.
Last year he refused to sign the school’s anti-racism pledge.
“I thought they were going to kick my daughter out then,” he said.
“They didn’t but next year they have the pledge built into the yearly school contract.”
According to the Washington Free Beacon the pledge asks the parents of prospective students to explain how their family’s values align with the school’s “commitment to creating an anti-racist and inclusive school community.”
The application also states that the school “requires all members, including at least one parent/guardian, to participate in required anti-racist training and ongoing reflection.”
According to the outlet the pledge was introduced after a black alumnae made racism allegations posting on the Instagram account “Black at Brearley.”
The concerned dad told the New York Post the school managed to “sneak in” the increased emphasis on race during the pandemic when “everyone was distracted.”
“I don’t know who’s really driving this and nobody does,” he said.
In response, Brearley’s head of school Jane Fried wrote a message to the families, calling Gutmann’s letter “deeply offensive and harmful.”
“This afternoon, I and others who work closely with Upper School students met with more than one hundred of them, many of whom told us that they felt frightened and intimidated by the letter and the fact that it was sent directly to our homes.”
“Our students noted that as this letter, which denies the presence of systemic racism, crossed their doorways, the evidence of ongoing racism – systemic or otherwise – is daily present in our headlines.”
Gutmann said Brearley students should not be “frightened” by a letter.
“The upper schoolers are afraid of getting a letter at their home?” he said.
“They’re frightened and intimidated? The school has said it’s number one priority is to teach the girls intellectual bravery and courageousness.
“Either they are lying or else they have done an atrocious job.”
Gutmann said he’s received an overwhelming number of supportive emails, from parents of private schools across the city.
“There’s a whole underground-like movement out there, he said.
In his letter Gutmann slammed the school’s “critical race theory”, saying it is “advocating the abhorrent viewpoint that Blacks should forever be regarded as helpless victims.”
Meanwhile, Grace Church School teacher Paul Rossi who publicly slammed his private school for its “anti-racism” ideology, defended Gutmann’s decision to pull his daughter from the elite school.
He told the MailOnline: “It is not easy for parents to upend lives and pull their child out of school.
“Administrators and faculty at many schools exploit this high switching cost, to leverage an explicitly discriminatory and ideological agenda that is harmful to the children in their care.”
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The dad’s decision to pull out his daughter from the prestigious school was announced on the same day Dalton School’s headmaster resigned over controversial race-based curriculum and policies.
Jim Best announced he was leaving Friday to pursue “other exciting and inspiring opportunities after months of controversy.
Back in December, parents pulled their kids from the ultra-exclusive private school after an “anti-racism manifesto” was imposed.