A woman who advocated "traditional American values" was removed from the Virginia Board of Education following a dispute with another board member over whether socialism should be portrayed as "incompatible with democracy" in public schools.
Suparna Dutta, an immigrant from India, was perplexed when speaking to Fox News, saying: "I thought people celebrated diversity. Whether it's diversity of thought, diversity of viewpoint or diversity of any of the many characteristics?"
In July 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin selected Suparna Dutta as a member of the Virginia Board of Education. She was expected to be confirmed by the board this past Tuesday.
Senator Ghazala Hashmi of Virginia proposed an amendment that was passed in a partisan vote to take away Dutta's nomination.
Youngkin made a statement expressing shock at the Senate Democrats' decision to oust Suparna Dutta from the Board of Education, "She is a mother and advocate for parents rights, she is an immigrant and an advocate for Asian American rights, she is an engineer and advocate for STEM in education."
The governor emphasized that not only is she well-qualified, but her dedication to being an involved parent in the school system is a trait that the Board of Education would benefit from.
Duttas removal came after a board meeting last week, where a dispute arose about modifications to the history and social science standards in Virginia public schools. The standards stipulate "Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are remarkable documents" and that socialism and communism are "incompatible with democracy and individual freedoms."
Anne Holton, a board member and spouse of Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, expressed her discomfort with the statement.
She stated that while the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are viewed as notable documents, it is important to recognize that they had foundational faults of enshrining slavery and only offering protections to white, affluent men.
Holton accepted that a communist system does not go hand in hand with democracy, yet maintained that many states refer to themselves as "socialist democratic governments".
"So is socialism compatible with democracy?" Holton questioned "That would be a great debate to have in a 12th grade government civics class."
Right after Holtons words, Dutta expressed her support for the U.S. Constitution and strongly criticized socialism.
Dutta declared" I think socialism is just about as bad as communism, "It co-opts the important decisions belonging to families and individuals."
On Tuesday, Dutta told Fox News that somebody had to take a stand and confront the opinion that was presented. "America is great. America's founding documents are great. And I do believe that socialism is very destructive, coming from a country which was founded as a socialist country."
After Democratic Governor Ralph Northam started the process, the drafting of new standards resumed in August when Governor Youngkin took office and appointed new board members, one being Dutta, as reported by WRIC.
At public hearings, many people expressed their strong disapproval of the proposed changes, particularly those referring to Native Americans as the earliest inhabitants of the United States and accused Governor Youngkin's administration of obscuring history.
The Virginia Grassroots Coalition, which launched a campaign against Dutta's confirmation, described her as a "far-right extremist". They also noted her to be disruptive and "not qualified" to serve on the board, pointing to her prior remarks which labeled colonialism, enslavement, and racism as "questionable concepts."
Prior to the confirmation vote Dutta declared that she would "always be thankful to be in America" and take part in democracy. "Only in America can a common person be heard and be part of the process," she said. "And I will continue to fight for education for our children."
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