'It just feels like indoctrination': Brookfield parents, students question Dept. of Education tour stop
BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A nationwide tour orchestrated by the U.S. Department of Education will make its one stop in Wisconsin Friday. The stop in Brookfield is drawing criticism from some parents and students who believe the event will have a partisan slant, given some of the groups involved in the tour.
The "History Rocks" tour kicked off in December. The Department of Education venture brings Secretary of Education Linda McMahon or other agency officials to one school in each state.
The tour is tied to the federal government's "America 250" celebration of the nation's 250th birthday this summer. The education department's website notes it is working with a number of groups that comprise the "America 250 Civics Education Coalition."
That coalition includes groups with open ties to conservative politics, such as the America First Policy Institute, the Heritage Foundation, Moms for Liberty and Turning Point USA.
One parent who spoke to CBS 58 outside Brookfield Central Thursday asked to remain anonymous because he didn't want to identify his kids in the district, who attend Brookfield East.
That parent said he was worried the event would have right-wing undertones.
"My concern is that we're bringing partisan politics into a public high school, where we should be having neutral discourse on topics like this," the parent said. "It just feels like indoctrination. It just doesn't feel right."
Another student who contacted CBS 58 requested anonymity. That student said they anticipated attending the event and questioned what the content would include.
"Some students are concerned about the political nature of the speaker and the lack of transparency surrounding the event," the student wrote.
An Elmbrook Schools spokesperson confirmed Thursday the district accepted an invitation to host Wisconsin's stop. The district shared an email Brookfield Central Principal Brett Gruetzmacher send to students, staff and families Thursday.
Gruetzmacher said the district was approached Monday by a former Brookfield police officer who now handles security for the "History Rocks" tour.
"After speaking with the production company to learn more about the opportunity and reviewing the week's schedule, I accepted the invitation," Gruetzmacher wrote. "It is our practice to honor visit requests from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction or, in this case, the United States Department of Education."
According to the letter, the featured speaker from the Department of Education will be Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Murray Bessette, who previously held leadership roles at the Alexander Hamilton Society, the Common Sense Society and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
The letter said Bessette's remarks "will honor the nation's founding principles while highlighting Wisconsin's historic role in shaping the American frontier."
The concerned parent told CBS 58 he was worried the event would share a version of state and national history that glosses over or ignores the uglier parts of its past.
"These organizations have shown a penchant for trying to whitewash history and to remove a lot of the harm that has happened in this country over the years," he said. "From the Civil Rights Movement to women's suffrage, these are things that these groups are trying to bury."
The letter made no mention of the tour's ties to conservative organizations. It noted other invited guests included State Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), State Rep. Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee), State Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) and Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto.
When reached by phone Thursday, Vining said she will not attend Friday's tour stop and added she considers it to be a partisan political event happening on school grounds. Hutton's office did not respond to a request for comment.
The Department of Education's press office did not respond to questions sent by CBS 58 Thursday.