Patriotism or propaganda? NJ school controversy over Linda McMahon & Turning Point USA event

✅ "History Rocks" civics tour stops at a Colts Neck middle school on Friday

✅ An online petition calls the visit ‘propaganda'

✅ Opponents are citing the school's new Parental Bill of Rights to demand more info

COLTS NECK — A visit by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the America 250 Civics Coalition "History Rocks" initiative on Friday is not being welcomed by everyone.

The initiative, launched in September, plans visits to schools in all 50 states with New Jersey represented by the Cedar Drive Middle School in Colts Neck. It is dedicated to "renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge, and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation" in anticipation of the country's 250th anniversary in 2026.

Forty organizations are involved with the initiative, including the Charlie Kirk-founded Turning Point USA, religious conservative Hillsdale College and the conservative America First Policy Institute. This is one of the first presentations so it's not clear what will be included.

In a letter to parents, Superintendent MaryJane Garibay said the district was honored by its selection and credited BOE president Angelique Volpe for reaching out to the federal agency early to get the visit.  The visit includes a whole-school assembly, a guided tour of the school that includes classroom visits, and a small-group roundtable discussion with select students, teachers, and administrators.

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Parent backlash grows in Colts Neck

An online petition titled "keep propaganda out of our schools" is collecting signatures objecting to the visit. The organizer's name or group is not disclosed on the form.

"Public schools are supposed to be ideologically neutral. Organizations pushing a specific political or religious agenda have no business designing civics curriculum for our kids," the petition states.

A post on Facebook suggested parents who object to the visit utitlize the BOE's newly passed "parental bill of rights" in requesting copies of the materials that will be presented and permission to record and attend the event.  The organization that authored the letter was also not disclosed.

Garden State Equality said that the involvement of conservative groups show it is a "radically partisan" event. The group was critical of the five-day notice about the visit given to parents.

“We know that Secretary McMahon, someone who is in lockstep with President Trump, and the organizations on this tour want the American story to be free of people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, immigrants, disabled people, and anyone who is different,” Deputy Director Brielle Winslow-Majette said in a statement. “They want to teach that the only Black history was slavery; they want to ignore the contributions of Latine communities; and they want to perpetuate the genocide of Indigenous people by continuing to relegate them to a past-tense, conquered people. Diverse classrooms call for diversified history. Diversified perspectives and stories save lives.”

Garibay on Thursday morning did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's request for comment about the objections to the visit.

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