Education Secretary Linda McMahon visits Seymour after two other towns canceled
President Donald Trump's controversial education secretary brought her "History Rocks!" tour to Seymour on Friday. Previous visits to Fairfield and Thomaston were canceled after parents protested.
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For Linda McMahon, the third time is a charm.
After two other school districts cancelled her appearances, President Donald Trump’s controversial education secretary finally visited students in her home state on Friday.
During a stop in Seymour, McMahon praised Connecticut schools – but also issued a warning to state education leaders.
"HISTORY ROCKS!" TOUR
Seymour Middle School rolled out the red carpet for McMahon’s nationwide “History Rocks!” tour.
“Most people will never have the opportunity to hear directly from a member of the president’s cabinet,” Principal Keith O’Rourke told an auditorium of about 50 students.
But there were lots of empty seats. Many students chose to sit out McMahon’s appearance.
The tour has drawn criticism for links to right-wing groups like the America First Policy Institute and Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk. But McMahon insisted the only purpose is to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
“I think there was maybe a lot of misperceptions of what the programs might be, but this is really just about our country,” she told reporters after the event.
Seymour is McMahon's last stop on the "History Rocks!" tour.
CANCELLED VISITS
McMahon, who helped her husband Vince build the WWE wrestling empire and led two unsuccessful bids for U.S. Senate, has become a lightning rod.
Protests from parents led Fairfield and Thomaston to cancel visits earlier this year.
“It’s really tone deaf to try and come to a school setting when they’re trying to also do things like get rid of SNAP, get rid of healthcare for our students, get rid of aftercare programs,” Fairfield parent Tracy Rodriguez said on Jan. 29.
Not everyone in Seymour was happy either.
“Concerns are valid surrounding the visit, and Secretary McMahon’s support for dismantling the federal role in public education,” Josh James, a Seymour Democrat running for the Connecticut House, posted on Facebook. “Especially when federal programs support students with disabilities, low-income families and districts that already struggle with funding.”
WARNING TO CONNECTICUT
At Trump's direction, McMahon has vowed to dismantle the Department of Education.
“The president’s role is to get the bureaucracy out of education. Return it to the states,” McMahon said on Friday. “Because they know their students better.”
But while McMahon championed states’ rights, the Department of Education has threatened to withhold funding to Connecticut schools over DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity) programs and transgender athletes in girls’ sports.
“States have the rights to do things that are important for them and their schools, but when federal funding is involved and the programs are not in accordance with what the administration believes for federal funding, then we look to those programs to say they need to change,” McMahon said. “I haven’t had a direct conversation with Gov. Lamont. We invited him today, but we didn’t hear back from him. I'd hoped that he might come and if he had some issues, he could have asked me.”
The invitation was news to Lamont’s office.
“I am not aware of any invite for today, but the Governor is always open to meeting with federal officials about ensuring our schools have the support they need to maximize outcomes for our students,” said spokesperson Cathryn Vaulman.
Despite the controversy, Seymour’s school superintendent defended her invitation at a roundtable with McMahon
“Why did I want to host this or be a participant?” said Dr. Susan Compton. “It’s to really emphasize, again, the importance of federal funding.”
