Pennsylvania school district reverses course and reinstates actor Maulik Pancholy’s anti-bullying assembly event
In a 5-4 vote Wednesday, the Cumberland Valley school board reversed its decision after an hour-long meeting during which it heard criticism from community members.
The Cumberland Valley School District board voted this week to allow actor and author Maulik Pancholy to present an anti-bullying assembly at a middle school after canceling it earlier this month.
The board previously nixed Pancholy’s scheduled appearance over concerns about his activism and “lifestyle,” as one board member put it. Pancholy, who is gay, came out in 2013 and writes books focused on two Indian American children who are gay. Much of his activism has centered on combating bullying committed against the LGBTQ community, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
In a 5-4 vote Wednesday, the Cumberland Valley school board reversed its decision after an hour-long meeting during which it heard criticism from community members, according to the New York Times. Some reportedly referred to the cancellation of the event as being based in homophobia.
“To claim that Maulik Pancholy is a political activist and use that as a justification to cancel his event is an excuse that the public sees through,” one community member said at the meeting, according to the Times.
Pancholy, 48, had been scheduled to speak at the district’s Mountain View Middle School on May 22. He is known for his roles on popular television shows such as Weeds and 30 Rock, and for his voice work on the animated Disney series Phineas & Ferb.
Following the board’s vote, Pancholy issued a statement Thursday thanking supporters and students.
“I know what this would have meant to me growing up as an LGBTQ+ kid of color,” Pancholy said. “Last night, you made sure every single student at MVMS knows they belong.”
“I cannot wait to meet all of you in person,” Pancholy added.