Public commenters press board on PragerU materials and ICE; speaker accuses trustee of bullying

Several members of the public told the Kern County Board of Education they oppose use of PragerU materials in county schools and sought transparency and review of any curriculum. Student and community speakers urged the board to prioritize local resources and multicultural content.

John Hart, introduced by the presiding officer as a former Bakersfield Californian photojournalist and instructor, criticized Trustee James Robinson for what Hart described as a ‘blatant act of bullying’ toward a constituent at the prior meeting and challenged the trustee’s statement about the First Amendment. Hart summarized courtroom precedent and judicial review, citing Marbury v. Madison, and offered written materials to the board. “Trustee Robinson decided he would bully Ellen while demonstrating a complete lack of knowledge of both the establishment clause of the First Amendment,” Hart said during public comment.

Ellen Schaffhauser, a former teacher, asked the board to produce PragerU curriculum materials and asked where multicultural history and DEI content would appear in materials provided for upcoming Freedom 250 activities. She also raised concerns about ICE operations in and around schools and asked what protections or plans the board has in place for students who might be affected.

Other speakers echoed opposition to PragerU: Caleb Tuttle, a student at CSUB, said he could not support implementing PragerU in Kern County schools and urged promotion of local literacy programs instead. Members of the public asked the board to place policy updates about ICE procedures on a future agenda so districts can communicate available supports for students.

No curricular adoption was approved at the meeting; trustees did not vote on PragerU materials during the session.