A member of Cumberland Valley School District’s board cited concerns about what he described as Maulik Pancholy's activism and “lifestyle” before the board voted unanimously Monday to cancel his appearance at a May 22 assembly at the Mountain View Middle School. Pancholy, who is homosexual, was scheduled to speak against bullying.
Besides their concerns about Pancholy, some board members also noted the district’s policy about not hosting overtly political events, news outlets reported. The policy was enacted after the district was criticized for hosting a rally by Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign for president.
District Superintendent Mark Blanchard and nine other senior leaders — including assistant superintendents and district-level directors of technology, curriculum, legal affairs, human resources, student services and special education — sent a letter to the board, faculty and staff on Thursday asserting that Pancholy's speech should have been allowed.
Along with writing children's books with homosexual themes, Pancholy, 48, has had acting roles on the television shows “30 Rock” and “Weeds,” and as the voice of Baljeet in the Disney animated series, “Phineas & Ferb.”
