Report: NEA Boycotting Texas, Cancels Annual Convention

 

According to a new report, the National Education Association, which is America’s largest teacher’s union, has canceled its annual convention that was set to be held in Texas in July.

“The union took the unprecedented step of canceling its Texas plans due to its displeasure with a series of bills that came out of a special session of the state legislature having to do with voting, abortion and critical race theory, internal NEA sources say,” according to The 74 million. “Several state affiliates had threatened not to send their delegates to the convention if it were held in Texas.”

Texas banned Critical Race Theory (CRT) from its classrooms in June. It also banned drive-thru voting and added some restrictions to its vote-by-mail processes, which critics called “restrictive.” Abortion was also outlawed after six weeks of pregnancy.

This is not the first time an NEA group has boycotted the state. In 2019, the New Hampshire NEA refused to participate in the convention in Houston. During the annual event, the union sets internal policy and elects delegates.

The convention was held virtually in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, the group is looking for alternate locations, including Chicago and Orlando, but will hold its conference online if it cannot replan the event in time, which could be a logistical nightmare given that about 6,000 teachers attend the conference.

The NEA did not respond to a comment request.

The group found itself in the national news this week after one of its directors from Pennsylvania said on Facebook that people who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 should be shot.

“I don’t know why the GOP doesn’t just take those guns they profess to love so much and just start shooting all of their constituents who feel this way,” Mollie Mumau wrote. “It would be quicker and ultimately safer than putting me and my friends and family at risk.”

The NEA has since removed her name from its list of state directors.

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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “NEA Conference” by John Edwards. CC BY-SA 2.0.

 

 

 

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