Bigoted Pennsylvania school board cancels actor’s speech over his ‘lifestyle’

Bigots on a Pennsylvania school board have canceled an upcoming appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy after some cited concerns about what they described as his “lifestyle.”

Pancholy, an actor mostly known for his roles on ‘30 Rock’, ‘Weeds’, and ‘Phineas & Ferb,’ was scheduled to speak against bullying during an assembly at Mountain View Middle School in Cumberland County.

However, the district’s school board voted unanimously Monday night to cancel his talk after some members voiced concerns and others noted the district’s policy about not hosting overtly political events. The policy was enacted after the district was criticized for hosting a rally by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Now, how could a talk about being against bullying be considered a political event? That’s a great question.

School board members said they did not know what Pancholy’s talk would be about, but one member said he didn’t “want to run the risk” of what it might entail.

“If you research this individual, he labels himself as an activist,” Bud Shaffner said. “He is proud of his lifestyle, and I don’t think that should be imposed upon our students at any age.”

Pancholy is gay and has been married to chef Ryan Corvaia since 2014.

Another board member called Pancholy’s homosexuality “a choice.”

“It’s not discriminating against his lifestyle, that’s his choice, but it’s him speaking about it, and it did say that’s not the topic, but that’s what his books are about, and he will probably talk about his pathway because he talks about anti-bullying and empathy and inclusion so part of that is his journey as an individual," said board member Kim Potteiger.

Pancholy was named by President Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, where he co-founded a campaign to combat AAPI bullying.

Parents, students, and community members called the decision “homophobic.” Petitions urging that Pancholy’s appearance be reinstated are gaining signatures.

“I thought it was outrageous and very concerning," said Trisha Comstock, a parent who is behind a petition now circulating online, asking the board to reverse its decision. “It clearly sends a message to our staff, our students, and our residents that identify as LGBTQ+, that part of the community, that they’re not welcome, they’re not seen, they’re not respected.”

Maulik Pancholy in ‘30 Rock’

Pancholy said on social media that his school visits are meant “to let all young people know that they’re seen. To let them know that they matter.” When he talks about his characters feeling “different,” he said he is always surprised by how many children of various identities and backgrounds want to share how they feel different too.

“That’s the power of books. They build empathy,” Pancholy wrote. “I wonder why a school board is so afraid of that?”