Teachers advocate ‘a joke,’ Cotton says

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., stoked controversy this week over comments he made about the head of a prominent education employees’ union, in which he questioned her ability to teach because she’s not a biological mother.

The remarks were directed at Randi Weingarten, a former New York teacher who now serves as president of the American Federation of Teachers.

“Randi Weingarten does not even have children of her own. What in the hell does she know about raising and teaching kids?” Cotton said Tuesday during a television appearance on Fox News, describing the union president as “a joke.” The clip was also posted on the senator’s Twitter account, which holds more than 430,000 followers.

Weingarten, who heads a union with 1.7 million members, fired back on Twitter by saying she has stepchildren and grandchildren. Cotton had not “done his homework,” she wrote.

“Did I misread this or did Tom Cotton just say any teacher who is not also a parent shouldn’t be able to teach? Really?” she wrote. “Is he now disqualifying every nun from teaching? Or is this simply a new divisive & hateful homophobic slur against LGBTQ teachers?”

The spat continued with Cotton responding: “Unlike you, most young teachers, nuns, and others without kids don’t try to close schools down. So spare me the fake outrage.”

Earlier this year, in a speech addressing the coronavirus pandemic, Weingarten called for the reopening of in-person instruction for this fall.

Her union represents a range of workers, including teachers, higher education staff, nurses, early childhood educators and employees for the federal government, according to its website.

During the Fox News television appearance, Cotton made the comments about Weingarten while answering a question about her being at a rally for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe in the final stage of McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign in Virginia. Cotton said Democrats in Virginia would shut down schools if McAuliffe, a former governor, took office again.

Republican Glenn Youngkin bested McAuliffe in the high-profile race for governor. The contest garnered national attention, with many seeing the race as a performance review for Democrats and President Joe Biden.

In a series of tweets, Weingarten pushed back at Cotton and took issue with his insinuation against teachers who don’t have biological children.

“We owe them — teachers who are parents, and teachers who are not parents — our thanks, not insults,” she argued.

“Stop the dog whistles Tom and help us help our kids recover,” she wrote.

Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, weighed in with support for Weingarten.

“No one has worked harder to reopen our schools safely than Randi,” Shuler said. “She is a champion for in-person learning.”

Cotton’s comments came a week after he lashed out at U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during a hearing, telling the nation’s chief law enforcement officer that he should resign in disgrace.

“Thank God you are not on the Supreme Court,” Cotton said, referring to when then-President Barack Obama nominated Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016. The Senate Republican leadership at the time refused to hold a confirmation hearing for Garland.

Garland testified Oct. 27 before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Cotton is a member, about a memo in which divisions of the U.S. Department of Justice were instructed to consult with local law enforcement agencies on whether a federal response was needed in regard to threats against school officials. Republicans wanted the memo rescinded.