Commission controversy
More than 500 sign letter from advisory council
Faith leaders, educators call on House speaker to rescind appointment of ‘anti-muslim’ activist.
Dozens of faith leaders and community members are calling on Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton to rescind his recent appointment of longtime activist Laurie Cardoza-moore to the Tennessee State Textbook Commission.
More than 500 individuals, including prominent local faith leaders as well as Metro Nashville Board of Education member Abigail Tylor, signed a letter from the American Muslim Advisory Council sent to Sexton and other lawmakers on Monday, urging the speaker to not only rescind Cardoza-moore’s appointment but also to ensure members of the commission — which oversees the official list of textbooks and instructional materials recommended for use by Tennessee students — are more representative of all students across the state.
“We understand that nomination to the Textbook Commission is a political appointment. However, we maintain that her well-documented anti-muslim rhetoric, public attacks and promotion of false historical narratives will not serve this commission well in providing the best educational resources for the students in our state,” Sabina Mohyuddin, executive director of the American Muslim Advisory Council, said in the letter. “Public schools must be inclusive spaces that welcome all students equally, regardless of background, race or religion. Our children’s textbooks must be reflective of diverse student populations.”
News of Cardoza-moore’s appointment in November quickly garnered backlash from not only the Muslim community but from educators and others in Tennessee.
Cardoza-moore is the founder and president of the Franklin-based nonprofit Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, which is committed to fighting anti-semitism but has also been deemed a hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center. She also is a former Williamson County School Board candidate.
She garnered national attention when she led efforts to oppose the construction of a Murfreesboro mosque and was also heavily involved in efforts against an Advanced Placement human geography book perceived by some as anti-semitic in 2013.
‘Our children deserve a first-class education’
The letter sent to Sexton on Monday also quotes the Anti-defamation League, an international Jewish organization that fights anti-semitism and bigotry.
“Our nation’s public schools are for children from all religious backgrounds. It is disgraceful for the Tennessee State Textbook Commission to have a member with a long record of anti-muslim bigotry. We urge Speaker Sexton to rescind this appointment,” the organization said.
Mohyuddin argues that a commission should not include someone who is willing to promote false historical narratives, something Cardoza-moore has accused of doing.
“Our children deserve a first-class education in Tennessee. In addition to rescinding Cardoza-moore’s appointment, we urge you to use the remaining open positions on the commission to be more representative of the needs of all students to ensure those voices can be heard and considered in the deliberation process in reviewing the textbooks presented to the students of Tennessee,” Mohyuddin wrote.
Representatives from Nashville Organized for Action and Hope also called for public education to be “kept free from bigotry of all kinds.”
“The NOAH Education Task Force is outraged by House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s appointment of Laurie Cardoza-moore to lead the Tennessee Textbook Commission - a position that will advise the selection of textbooks available to Tennessee public school students,” read an email from the task force members, urging Sexton to rescind Cardoza-moore’s appointment. “Let Speaker Sexton know that fearmongering and bigotry have no home at any level of our school system.”
The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee also recently sent a letter to Rep. Mark White, R-memphis, chair of the House education committee, expressing similar concerns over Cardoza-moore’s appointment.
The group praised Cardoza-moore’s past work regarding Holocaust education but stands with the American Muslim Advisory Council’s concerns about her “anti-muslim rhetoric.”
“Ms. Moore’s anti-muslim rhetoric, activities and advocacy, are not in keeping with this mission,” the Jewish Federation’s letter, signed by four of its senior leaders, reads. “Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, humanitarian and educator, taught: ‘No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong.’”
Deborah Oleshansky, community relations director of the group, told The Tennessean Wednesday that White had not yet responded to the federation’s letter, which he received Monday.
Neither representatives from Sexton’s or White’s office immediately returned The Tennessean’s request for comment.
The State Textbook Commission
The commission seat has been vacant since June 2019 and CardozaMoore’s appointment would run through June 30, 2022. The position is unpaid but does include travel expenses. Three other seats on the nineperson commission are currently vacant.
As speaker, Sexton is able to appoint three people to the commission, including a director of schools, a K-3 teacher or instructional supervisor and a Middle Tennessee public member, which is the role Cardoza-moore would fill.
Cardoza-moore’s appointment, like all appointments, still needs to be approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, but she is already listed as a member of the commission on the Tennessee Department of Education’s website.
Meghan Mangrum covers education in Nashville for the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee. Contact her at mmangrum@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.
“We urge Speaker Sexton to rescind this appointment.” Anti-defamation League