For the past three years, Natomas Unified School District in California has permitted an avowed socialist and member of the local “antifa” chapter to teach American Government at one of its local high schools.
And despite repeated student complaints, nothing was done.
Now their liberty-loving families are getting involved.
The current controversy stems from a video released on Aug. 31 featuring the still-employed teacher, Gabriel Gipe. The video is the work of Project Veritas, a group dedicated to exposing public and private corruption.
On tape, Gipe brags that he has 180 days to turn his students into “revolutionaries.” In addition to hanging an “antifa” flag and picture of the brutal communist dictator Mao Zedong on his classroom walls, Gipe assigns his students extra credit for attending radical leftist protests.
Gipe also requires his students to take an ideological test, which he uses to plot their positions on a chart hung on the classroom wall and then publicly shames those he deems too “right-wing.”
At the conclusion of the tape, Gipe laments that Americans have not taken up arms in order to violently overthrow the government and institute a socialist utopia.
When the video went public the outcry was, understandably, swift and severe. Gipe’s termination was quickly demanded by the Natomas community.
In a desperate move, the Natomas School Board announced that Gipe was being placed on paid leave pending termination barely an hour before a public meeting planned for Sept. 1.
The parents, students and community members who showed up to the meeting were not mollified.
Representing the Freedom Foundation, which fights corrupt government union power on behalf of workers and families across the United States, I was the first to address the Board:
“Members of the Board, I appear before you today as a product and direct beneficiary of the California public education system.
It was because of the efforts of fair and balanced teachers that I developed a passion for American history and ultimately decided to pursue a career in public service. And so, you can imagine my shock when I first encountered the video of Gabriel Gipe recently released by Project Veritas.
I was taught that being an American citizen is something I should be proud of. That for all the complexities of American history, what mattered most were the ideals upon which this country was founded. Including the principles of individual liberty and the freedom of thought.
That it mattered less what conclusions I reached than that I employed the proper critical thinking tools in order to reach them.
But apparently the curricula at public schools in California has changed since I was a student.
Teachers like Mr. Gipe appear more concerned with indoctrinating students according to their own political preferences, including through public shaming, than with teaching students how to think critically and to come to their own conclusions regarding current political questions.
How can we explain this shift?
I think this situation is best explained by the current operation of public labor unions like the Natomas Teachers Association and the larger California Teachers Association with which it is affiliated.
These entities no longer consider themselves organizations advocating for the wages, hours, and working conditions of their members, but as “social justice” organizations pushing a radical agenda to tear down and fundamentally transform American society.
The Board should immediately take all actions necessary to ensure that classrooms in this district remain free of the political agendas of individual teachers and labor unions, and that children here receive an education, rather than indoctrination.”
One by one, parents stood up and explained that the glorification of socialism and using the classroom as a recruitment for “antifa” have no place in their children’s schools. They explained their love for this country, many of them having served in the armed services, as first responders and in public service.
They declared that the problem is larger than a single teacher.
How did the School Board react? Did its members empathize with the parents and students? Did they try to understand their pain? Did they vow to correct their past errors?
Nope. They suddenly called for a five-minute break, and when no one was looking, they snuck out the back door.
The Board’s beleaguered general counsel was left to announce to a room full of concerned parents who had not yet had the chance to speak that the Board had decided to “reschedule the meeting.”
So much for taking the concerns of the community seriously. Apparently, it is all well and good to talk up democracy — until it becomes politically inconvenient.
Meanwhile, the families attending the meeting were left to discuss the issues amongst themselves and plan their next moves. Bewilderment at the Board’s sudden retreat quickly turned to disgust and anger. Many spoke of the possibility of lawsuits or getting the members recalled.
In the meantime, they plan to come back again, and again, and again until the Board takes the necessary action to ensure that students in Natomas receive an actual education, rather than an indoctrination.
View Comments (51)
Excellent job last night,Mr. Snowball.
I am sure you are a busy guy these days.
The parents did an excellent job articulating the importance of getting rid of the Antifa teachers infiltrating California schools.
Years ago a bay area news channel interviewed their members who stand by these teachers.
There is a small teacher union that I believe is connected to the American Federation of Teachers that caters to this kind of political indoctrination. Which is affiliated with “By Any Means Necessary" (BAMN).
Does the name Yvonne Felarca ring a bell? She was an Antifa school teacher who was arrested for assaulting conservative Berkeley students back in 2017. Look her up and follow the breadcrumbs to that union, you will find many like Gabriel Gripe working throughout California.
I hope the parents of Natomas file a CPRA with the school district to get all of Mr. Gripe’s communications from the last 3 years. It may lead to other firings. These are dangerous and sometimes violent people as Yvonne Felarca exhibited in 2016-2017.
Thank you for standing up for the children.
The inmates from the asylum are now teaching in our public schools. Enough already, the Teachers Unions/School Boards need to be called out repeatedly and held accountable.
Any Senior class members from the past 3 years that were in this class should have their diplomas voided. None of them had the courage or backbone to report this guy.
I’ve been saying this for decades! The Teachers Union has a strangle-hold on public education and has undermined this country for two generations (at least). Do what Reagan did to the Air Traffic Controllers - get rid of them!
Wow- how much bs in a single post. Member of an organization that doesn’t exists????
If antifassholes don't exist, why, then, does the moron recruit for them? Lol
This "teacher" himself is probably one of those lost trouble-making souls who was recruited to bring this crap into the classroom and --- who knows --- may even be paid big bucks to recruit kids from the public schools. By all appearances, antifa are the "police" enforcement arm that seeks to violently suppress the free speech of citizens in hopes of keeping the leftist Dem politicians' infrastructure in power.
Rubbish. Apparently you've never seen news broadcasts from Portland Oregon. Go back to your cubicle at the Ministry of Truth.
Right? "Local chapter of antifa", indeed. Where is it located? Who is in charge?
... it doesn't exist.
Oh they exist you’re probably one of them! We need cameras in the classroom to see these crackhead school teachers curriculums. American history is our cultural right and no antifa nut job should be teaching in any school USA ????????
I’m glad that Project Veritas reported this story, the teachers union always have been corrupt. They need to be disbanded. No more cheats in our school systems.
I stopped taking this seriously when I read, “member of the local “antifa” chapter.”
There are no local antifa chapters; it’s not an organisation. Antifa is literally short for anti-fascist. If you are against fascism then you too are antifa.
Fascism is a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition”
You are the only person with a brain on the page, and I’m including the author as well as the commenters. Thank you for being a rational and informed person.
Seems as if Portland and Seattle have local chapters...your definition seems more in line with the 1920 & 30's, I think. Meet the Philosopher Behind the Ideology of Anti-Fascists ...
Search domain intellectualtakeout.orghttps://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/meet-philosopher-behind-ideology-anti-fascists/
Since Antifa routinely use violence and intimidation to prevent political opponents from assembling and publicly defend these tactics as a means to their ends, their fascist tendencies are self-evident. To most, this connection is clear. To Antifa and some leftist scholars, it is not.
You MUST be joking, right Chris? The Antifa today is nothing like you just described. You may want to take their agenda seriously and educate yourself!
Antifa is double speak for a fascist organization pretends to be fighting fascism. I think you are part of the problem.
Antifa is double speak for a fascist organization that pretends to be fighting fascism. I think you are part of the problem.
Our current administration fits that definition!
Everything you said is technically correct but the problem is the people claiming they are "antifa" are not anti fascism, they are to stupid to realize they are actually supporting fascism.
So awesome to see parents finally standing up. These far left wing radicals need to be stopped. They are mentally ill.
how ironic that the antifascists are the actual fascists … Lori and Chris are too ashamed to be proud of Antifa
Seems as if Portland and Seattle have local chapters...your definition seems more in line with the 1920 & 30's, I think. Meet the Philosopher Behind the Ideology of Anti-Fascists ...
Search domain intellectualtakeout.orghttps://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/meet-philosopher-behind-ideology-anti-fascists/
Since Antifa routinely use violence and intimidation to prevent political opponents from assembling and publicly defend these tactics as a means to their ends, their fascist tendencies are self-evident. To most, this connection is clear. To Antifa and some leftist scholars, it is not.