It is unusual for the name of a local public school district to have national legs. Loudon County, VIrgina, is one. SAU16 in New Hampshire is another. The Exeter School District has made national news more than once, and perhaps it has again.
A few years ago, the very #woke SAU (School Administrative Unit for those outside the state) hired a Diversity Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Administrator. Andres Mejia, a Seacoast Black Lives Matter member, got the job and its very nice salary, and proceeded to do what the District was already doing without him. Advancing DEI, CRT, creating a hostile environment for any staff who thought the focus should be academics. Bullying is illegal in New Hampshire, and every District has a policy, but much like election law, its application is both partisan and selective, true to party form.
Democrats run on uniting people, unity, and diversity, but that’s all bullshit. As I’m fond of saying, it is a room full of people who look different but must think the same. Ask Dem Rep. Johnah Wheeler about that if you’re confused. He voted his conscience and proceeded to get bullied and attacked by members of his caucus (voted the wrong way on gender surgery, you see). And he’s just the latest victim of inter-party bullying in the Granite State.
So, the Mejia hire is typical, and he’d have held the destructive and overpaid job for life (if he wanted that), but recent events changed the dynamics. October 7th, the Israeli response and recent campus protests have polarized the Left. Democrats pretending to support Israel are at odds with Democrats who can’t publicly admit they want it wiped off the map. BLM leans harder left like the good Marxists they are, putting them in Camp Keffiyeh. It’s not the best place to be right now (professionally), even among ideological allies on the Left.
Pressure was gently applied to the Superintendent, who likely hoped he could ignore it, but the School Board was looped in. On May 1st, the District announced Andres Mejia’s resignation.
It is with regret that I inform you of the resignation of our DEI-J Director, Andres Mejia. Andres has been a driver in championing diversity initiatives, promoting equity in educational opportunities, and advocating for inclusion and social justice. This role is important for our entire school community and is pivotal in fostering a culture of acceptance, understanding, and belonging among students, faculty, and staff. We will be posting this opening by early next week as we look to find a qualified candidate to continue in helping create a learning environment where all individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive academically and personally.
Andres will be moving on to a wonderful opportunity working for a non-profit organization supporting their efforts in the State of New Hampshire. His last day will be May 31, 2024. We wish him the best as he takes his next steps on his career journey.
I wonder if the Non-Profit is BLM?
We’ll get back to you on that, but for now, he is out at SAU16, and they will want to replace him. Taxpayers and those with students in these schools need to step up and push back. He did nothing for academic competency, so there is no reason to fill the position. In fact, this might be an excellent opportunity to flush out a few more like him.
Good luck with that, but to every one out there, if your school (or work) has a DEIJ director or officer and they are connected in any way to BLM, these protests might provide an opportunity.
