New Hampshire state representative Tommy Hoyt lashed out at a concerned parent via email earlier this week, responding to the parent’s request for Hoyt to support a parental bill of rights by telling the parent to “shut up.”
“I am a parent of four children in Hopkinton, New Hampshire. I am asking that you pass SB272 without any amendments,” the parent’s email began.
“Aren’t most teachers and school staff also parents? Do you believe that teachers and school staff make better parents than everyone else? Do you believe that most parents are abusive? Have the people who want you to vote against parental rights provided much more than fear to support their position? Statistical data demonstrating a large percentage of kids are abused? Or that non-abusive parents become abusive because they learn their child is trans, etc?” the email continues.
“The purpose of school is to teach reading, writing, math, real science, sports, etc. It IS the job of parents to protect their children. No one on the planet will care more about my children than I do! In addition, the teachers and school staff are not the ones who have to deal with the aftermath of their fostering of secretive activities with students. The frequent arrest records of teachers and school personnel in NH would suggest that they are no better parents than anyone else. Please stand up for families and pass SB272 without floor amendments!” the email concludes with added screenshots of news stories about New Hampshire teachers accused of sexual assault.
However, Hoyt was not happy to oblige the parent’s earnest request, the author of which was belittled by Hoyt’s blunt response.
“Do you know why children’s results tanked during covid. Their parents were incompetent teachers. Do your children a favor, let the teachers teach, and shut up. You’re clearly no professional,” Hoyt’s email tersely stated.
Responding to an inquiry by the NH Journal, Hoyt confirmed that the exchange was authentic, admitting that his response lacked tact.
“The way I feel is that children’s test scores in school performance dropped off drastically was because they didn’t have teachers. And the parents that thought, ‘We can replace them and can tell them what to do,’ was not effective. I probably could have used better words,” Hoyt told the press.
The subject of the exchange, New Hampshire SB272 or the “Parents’ Bill of Rights in Education,” an exhaustive list of parents’ rights to be informed on the activities and behavior of their little ones at school. Even though New Hampshire’s legislature is Republican-dominated, the bill was indefinitely postponed by a vote of 195-190, which killed the legislation for 2023 and will prevent it from returning in 2024.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.