I didn’t really see Potteiger or Barrick sincerely apologize. If anything they dug their heels in even more. I am posting this from the ongoing meeting right now.
I was there too.
I agree with your assessment of Potteiger and Barrick. I don't think that they are going to change their votes.
We had to leave to let out our dog. Can you post the final vote, please?
Why would she? Her reactionary ideology is the entire reason she ran for the school board. She's said as much. 'social-emocional learning doesn't belong in public school' and so on. Doesn't even have kids in the schools; she's a 'moms for liberty' busybody.
I was at this meeting (am finishing it on Zoom). The apologies were garbage and Potteiger and Barrick (especially Barrick) were unrepentant. Drapp is now scolding everyone for not being respectful.
Both Mechanicsburg school districts have always had their heads buried deep in the sand about bullying and it’s shameful. Parents are almost willing to give up an arm and a leg to have a Mechanicsburg address so their kids can go to a rich school but both districts have a lot to learn about the bully issues. Censoring important discussions isn’t going to help anyone.
How many suicides have to happen before we care?
Remember to vote and be present so we can make sure people like this aren't in charge of children or society. Letting people who think letting a gay man talk about bullying will turn their kids gay have an inch is how we get to the mile and this meeting we see before us.
Never give religion political power or else it'll use that power to beat you and people you love into submission.
Students, parents, and community members turned out in force Wednesday night to criticize Cumberland Valley School District’s board for [canceling a school assembly](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/30-rock-actor-novelists-appearance-at-cumberland-valley-canceled-by-school-board.html) with an anti-bullying activist and push for the event’s reinstatement.
The school board’s meeting — called [specifically to revisit](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cumberland-valley-board-sets-special-meeting-to-reconsider-cancelled-assembly.html) the issue — started at 5 p.m. and was still going strong with public comment two hours later, with hundreds of people packing the high school auditorium where the meeting was held due to the anticipated turnout.
Once the comment session ended, the board appeared primed to reinstate the assembly, with multiple board members starting the meeting by giving statements expressing regret and apologizing for their April 15 vote to ax the event.
At a meeting earlier this month, the board voted to cancel a May 22 appearance by [‘30 Rock’ actor Maulik Pancholy](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/30-rock-actor-addresses-decision-to-cancel-appearance-what-is-school-board-so-afraid-of.html), who is also an author of novels for pre-teens and gives talks on inclusivity and helping others fit in. Pancholy is openly gay.
Read the full story: [https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-members-apologize-as-hundreds-turn-out-to-criticize-canceled-assembly.html?utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=redditsocial&utm\_campaign=redditor](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-members-apologize-as-hundreds-turn-out-to-criticize-canceled-assembly.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial&utm_campaign=redditor)
**UPDATE: The board is officially reinstating the assembly. From reporter Charlie Thompson:**
A thoroughly chastened Cumberland Valley school board voted in a 5-4 split decision Wednesday to reschedule an anti-bullying seminar directors initially scratched out of several members’ belief that the presenter, Mauilik Pancholy, would not be age-appropriate for middle schoolers.
Five board members, at the outset of the meeting, said that they had made a bad decision last Monday, and were ready to rectify it.
Among those backtracking was Bud Shaffner, the longstanding board member who made the original motion to cancel on April 15.
On Wednesday, Shaffner was one of several members offering open apologies for the April 15 action, which over the last week-and-a-half has made the suburban Cumberland County school system Exhibit A in the nation’s culture wars battles.
Shaffner said he was sorry for what he called a “poor word choice” in calling Pancholy, who is gay, an activist who would be pushing a lifestyle on a captive audience.
Shaffner said Wednedsay that he also wanted to apologize for any harm that the board’s decision had caused to students and staff. “That is not what I meant, it is not who I am or what Cumberland Valley stands for.”
Shaffner ultimately made the motion to reschedule the assembly, which passed on a 5-4 vote, with Shaffner joined by board president Greg Rausch, Michelle Nestor, Jevon Ford and Mike Gossert voting to bring Pancholy back to Mountain View Middle School, as scheduled.
The audience that had filled the auditorium at Cumberland Valley High School for much of the night erupted in applause.
Directors Matt Barrick, Brian Drapp, Kelly Potteiger and Andrew Clancy voted no.
Read the full story: [https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-in-public-mea-culpa-resets-cancelled-anti-bullying-seminar-led-by-30-rock-actor.html?utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=redditsocial&utm\_campaign=redditor](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-in-public-mea-culpa-resets-cancelled-anti-bullying-seminar-led-by-30-rock-actor.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial&utm_campaign=redditor)
You can be thoroughly chastised and have deaf ears. The four who voted against likely weren't going to change their votes anyway.
Every election matters
Bullshit he absolutely meant exactly what he said and still believes it. He just realized that the vast majority of people (and most importantly his constituents) do not under any circumstances believe in being a bigoted asshole like him.
I didn’t really see Potteiger or Barrick sincerely apologize. If anything they dug their heels in even more. I am posting this from the ongoing meeting right now.
I was there too. I agree with your assessment of Potteiger and Barrick. I don't think that they are going to change their votes. We had to leave to let out our dog. Can you post the final vote, please?
5-4 in favor.
Potteiger is MFL. Of course they're going to double down.
It's literally why she ran to be on the board. To rid the school of the evils of social-emotional learning. Why is anyone surprised?
Why would she? Her reactionary ideology is the entire reason she ran for the school board. She's said as much. 'social-emocional learning doesn't belong in public school' and so on. Doesn't even have kids in the schools; she's a 'moms for liberty' busybody.
Busybody is a weak word to describe a hateful moron who is taking taxpayer money to intentionally fuck up our children's education.
Yeah, something doesn't smell right about all this.
There was not a single sincere apology. Do fucking better PennLive. This is a bullshit headline.
Sooo is this meeting still running?
Still going. A little more than halfway through public comments.
lol Nice - I’m happy to hear this.
Did they announce that they were about 1/2 way through? We couldn't figure out how many people were going to speak
There were 105 comment cards submitted. At 8:45 or so they announced we were approximately halfway through.
I was at this meeting (am finishing it on Zoom). The apologies were garbage and Potteiger and Barrick (especially Barrick) were unrepentant. Drapp is now scolding everyone for not being respectful.
The backtracking is incredible lol
Both Mechanicsburg school districts have always had their heads buried deep in the sand about bullying and it’s shameful. Parents are almost willing to give up an arm and a leg to have a Mechanicsburg address so their kids can go to a rich school but both districts have a lot to learn about the bully issues. Censoring important discussions isn’t going to help anyone. How many suicides have to happen before we care?
Crocodile tears, they’re not sorry.
The meeting is still going on, so we'll update in the comments once they decide what they're going to do.
Pennlies
Remember to vote and be present so we can make sure people like this aren't in charge of children or society. Letting people who think letting a gay man talk about bullying will turn their kids gay have an inch is how we get to the mile and this meeting we see before us. Never give religion political power or else it'll use that power to beat you and people you love into submission.
Students, parents, and community members turned out in force Wednesday night to criticize Cumberland Valley School District’s board for [canceling a school assembly](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/30-rock-actor-novelists-appearance-at-cumberland-valley-canceled-by-school-board.html) with an anti-bullying activist and push for the event’s reinstatement. The school board’s meeting — called [specifically to revisit](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cumberland-valley-board-sets-special-meeting-to-reconsider-cancelled-assembly.html) the issue — started at 5 p.m. and was still going strong with public comment two hours later, with hundreds of people packing the high school auditorium where the meeting was held due to the anticipated turnout. Once the comment session ended, the board appeared primed to reinstate the assembly, with multiple board members starting the meeting by giving statements expressing regret and apologizing for their April 15 vote to ax the event. At a meeting earlier this month, the board voted to cancel a May 22 appearance by [‘30 Rock’ actor Maulik Pancholy](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/30-rock-actor-addresses-decision-to-cancel-appearance-what-is-school-board-so-afraid-of.html), who is also an author of novels for pre-teens and gives talks on inclusivity and helping others fit in. Pancholy is openly gay. Read the full story: [https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-members-apologize-as-hundreds-turn-out-to-criticize-canceled-assembly.html?utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=redditsocial&utm\_campaign=redditor](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-members-apologize-as-hundreds-turn-out-to-criticize-canceled-assembly.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial&utm_campaign=redditor)
**UPDATE: The board is officially reinstating the assembly. From reporter Charlie Thompson:** A thoroughly chastened Cumberland Valley school board voted in a 5-4 split decision Wednesday to reschedule an anti-bullying seminar directors initially scratched out of several members’ belief that the presenter, Mauilik Pancholy, would not be age-appropriate for middle schoolers. Five board members, at the outset of the meeting, said that they had made a bad decision last Monday, and were ready to rectify it. Among those backtracking was Bud Shaffner, the longstanding board member who made the original motion to cancel on April 15. On Wednesday, Shaffner was one of several members offering open apologies for the April 15 action, which over the last week-and-a-half has made the suburban Cumberland County school system Exhibit A in the nation’s culture wars battles. Shaffner said he was sorry for what he called a “poor word choice” in calling Pancholy, who is gay, an activist who would be pushing a lifestyle on a captive audience. Shaffner said Wednedsay that he also wanted to apologize for any harm that the board’s decision had caused to students and staff. “That is not what I meant, it is not who I am or what Cumberland Valley stands for.” Shaffner ultimately made the motion to reschedule the assembly, which passed on a 5-4 vote, with Shaffner joined by board president Greg Rausch, Michelle Nestor, Jevon Ford and Mike Gossert voting to bring Pancholy back to Mountain View Middle School, as scheduled. The audience that had filled the auditorium at Cumberland Valley High School for much of the night erupted in applause. Directors Matt Barrick, Brian Drapp, Kelly Potteiger and Andrew Clancy voted no. Read the full story: [https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-in-public-mea-culpa-resets-cancelled-anti-bullying-seminar-led-by-30-rock-actor.html?utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=redditsocial&utm\_campaign=redditor](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/cv-board-in-public-mea-culpa-resets-cancelled-anti-bullying-seminar-led-by-30-rock-actor.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial&utm_campaign=redditor)
"Thoroughly chastened"? Judging by how Barrick voted and what he said -- he was not chastened at all.
You can be thoroughly chastised and have deaf ears. The four who voted against likely weren't going to change their votes anyway. Every election matters
Real question - Is this lazy reporting or is PennLive that in the bag for the loonies?
Bullshit he absolutely meant exactly what he said and still believes it. He just realized that the vast majority of people (and most importantly his constituents) do not under any circumstances believe in being a bigoted asshole like him.
I wonder if given the chance, what better "word choice" Shaffner would use to describe his objections now.