Author and filmmaker warns Washington County group that schools risk "ideological capture," cites Soviet parallels

Julie Behling, an author and documentary filmmaker who lives in Hurricane, told members of the Washington County Republican Women at a recent meeting that the United States is facing an "ideological capture" of schoolchildren and showed excerpts from her documentary Beneath Sheets Clothing.

Behling said the film and her 2022 book trace tactics used by Soviet authorities to reshape society — particularly through schools and youth organizations — and that she sees similar patterns in parts of U.S. education today. "If we're gonna save freedom in our state of Utah, we really have save Washington County because we're kind of the last stronghold here," Behling said during her talk, urging local action to counter those trends.

Why it matters: Behling framed her presentation as both historical background and a local call to action. She argued that early Soviet efforts to centralize power relied heavily on schooling and youth indoctrination, and said those same methods — she said — prioritize ideological instruction over traditional civic or religious teachings. She showed portions of her documentary Beneath…