{"id":1628237,"date":"2022-08-31T12:17:59","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T16:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1628237"},"modified":"2022-08-31T12:18:10","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T16:18:10","slug":"despite-opposition-from-parents-and-board-members-grove-city-college-doubles-down-on-woke-educators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/despite-opposition-from-parents-and-board-members-grove-city-college-doubles-down-on-woke-educators\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite Opposition From Parents And Board Members, Grove City College Doubles Down On Woke Educators"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdespite-opposition-from-parents-and-board-members-grove-city-college-doubles-down-on-woke-educators%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1628237&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Few institutions of higher learning can match Grove City College\u2019s (GCC) legacy of conservatism and independence. During the Reagan Revolution, the college famously sued the Department of Education over government overreach and walked away from federal funding to safeguard its self-determination. Today, Grove City\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gcc.edu\/Portals\/0\/2021-22-Catalog.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">official bulletin<\/a> declares that the college \u201cunapologetically advocates preservation of America\u2019s religious, political, and economic heritage of individual freedom and responsibility.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet ferocious cultural headwinds now threaten to destroy even the most stalwart conservative institutions. Those lacking leaders who understand the severity of the storm will be tossed about by the waves and knocked off course. Some will sink. This time last year, Grove City seemed destined for that fate.<\/p>\n<p>Woke <a href=\"https:\/\/americanreformer.org\/2021\/11\/wide-awoke-at-grove-city-college\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">programming<\/a> has made its way into the chapel, the classroom, and the dorms at Grove City. For months, concerned parents tried to sound the alarm that GCC was drifting from its historic mission. When those concerns fell on deaf ears, they banded together, launched an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petitions.net\/save_gcc_from_crt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online petition<\/a>, and spread the word on social media. After the administration stonewalled, current and former faculty issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/gccletter.carrd.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a> to the school\u2019s board of trustees asking them to intervene.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In response, the board took the unprecedented step of establishing a committee to investigate CRT and mission drift. Its subsequent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gcc.edu\/Portals\/0\/Special-Committee-Report-and-Recommendation_0422.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> is a sterling example of conviction and clarity. The board reaffirmed the college\u2019s conservative legacy and denounced CRT as incompatible with the college\u2019s mission. It further detailed exactly how CRT had made inroads into the institution and gave clear instructions to President Paul McNulty on how to remediate matters.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives cheered. It appeared that a passionate constituency and a vigilant board had rewritten the age-old tale of leftward mission drift within Christian higher education. All that remained was the follow-through of the college administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Four months after the board issued its report, the results are in, and they aren\u2019t pretty.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the board\u2019s unambiguous posture and clear directives, the college\u2019s administration appears less assured in GCC\u2019s identity and more concerned with not rocking the boat. The board\u2019s report declared GCC to be a \u201cconservative, independent, and Christ-centered college standing athwart the increasingly progressive higher-education environment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But Grove City\u2019s president Paul McNulty expressed a conflicted view of the situation in recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freep.com\/in-depth\/news\/education\/2022\/07\/30\/wokeness-christian-colleges-enrollment-politics-hillsdale\/9627765002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reflections<\/a> on the CRT controversy. He said, \u201cI worry that our polarization is extended to the point where I don\u2019t know how we come out of it. It seems to be much different than in the past. Students come in seeing themselves as culture warriors.\u00a0They see everything through that lens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Where McNulty lacks resolve, his Provost, Peter Frank, lacks confidence. In a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=265&amp;v=Zm_gUBE4x3k&amp;feature=emb_logo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">video<\/a>, Frank stipulated that it is hard to explain what makes Grove City special, but it has something to do with how GCC balances the conflict between free enterprise and the common good, a remarkable admission from the chief academic officer of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?160821-1\/freedoms-college\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Freedom\u2019s College<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In short, Grove City\u2019s constituency and its board want a bold, counter-cultural institution, but key administrators appear hesitant. The school\u2019s befuddling and now-reversed decision to remove the word \u201cconservative\u201d from its vision statement \u2014 reportedly motivated by a desire to distance itself from baggage associated with the word \u2014 makes sense in light of academic leadership\u2019s tepid defense of the conservative intellectual tradition.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps reservations among top administrators account for the dearth of personnel change at GCC over the summer. Every single member of the cast of characters who brought CRT into the school will be returning: Don Optiz (chaplain who oversaw a series of woke chapel talks), Justin Jose (Director of the Office of Multicultural Education &#038; Initiatives), Christopher Merrick (Residential Director who gave a CRT-lite chapel talk and disparaged Grove City on a student-run <a href=\"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/ariana-nelson1\/episodes\/Part-3---Chris-Merrick-e1757i3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">podcast<\/a>), and faculty in the Education Department who approved and taught CRT-infused courses. It is difficult to square this reality with the board\u2019s directive that McNulty address situations where staff are not aligned with the college\u2019s mission. Two such cases are particularly noteworthy.<\/p>\n<p>The first was renewing the contract of Psychology Professor Warren Throckmorton. Last week, Throckmorton announced he would be retiring from Grove City at the end of the 2022-23 academic year in a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wthrockmorton\/status\/1561671778245787649?s=20&amp;t=V0U8L8QR8s0gXiLbAlZ4EA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweet<\/a> that garnered sympathy from prominent ex-evangelical <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/greg_thornbury\/status\/1561672997873897476?s=20&amp;t=RNtysjMmc3xsegcnnNqdxw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lefties<\/a>. His misalignment with the school was evident as early <a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/evangelical-professor-turned-reparative-therapy-gays-174326663.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as 2017<\/a> but came into focus again via his copious <a href=\"https:\/\/wthrockmorton.com\/2021\/11\/30\/a-note-about-critical-race-theory-and-roots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blogging<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=from%3Awthrockmorton%20CRT&amp;src=typed_query&amp;f=top\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeting<\/a> in support of CRT and his numerous media appearances in which he belittled the parents\u2019 anti-CRT campaign. In the grossest instance, he tried to shame GCC Board Chair Edward Breen in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/news\/2022\/03\/01\/grove-city-college-facing-backlash-diversity-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an interview<\/a> with Inside Higher Ed.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether Throckmorton chose to retire or <em>is being retired<\/em> by GCC\u2019s administration. Either way, a competent administration should have realized the risk inherent in Throckmorton\u2019s return this fall. With nothing to lose, he could become toxic and act as a ringleader for other pro-CRT malcontents. Early reports suggest this is exactly how he intends to behave.<\/p>\n<p>According to a current GCC student who commented on the condition of anonymity, Throckmorton announced on the first day of class that he would spend his final year voicing his disagreements about CRT along with other like-minded professors on campus.<\/p>\n<p>The second instance is the astonishing case of Cedric Lewis, previously a guest lecturer in the school\u2019s entrepreneurship program and something of an entrepreneur himself, with apparent business interests in a hemorrhoid treatment company, according to his Twitter bio. Lewis helped design and teach a one-sided pop-CRT course for Grove City\u2019s Education Department. After the board released its report, Lewis took to Twitter to tell <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/whbizlaw\/status\/1519261315633758214?s=20&amp;t=V0U8L8QR8s0gXiLbAlZ4EA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">his story<\/a>, stating the board exhibited disturbing bias and their interviews \u2014 which were conducted by a committee including two sitting federal judges \u2014 \u201cwouldn\u2019t pass the smell test in a legal setting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lewis also gave interviews to <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2022\/05\/09\/grove-city-faculty-say-college-is-facing-a-fight-for-the-soul\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Religion News Service<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/news\/2022\/05\/05\/grove-city-college-board-asked-reject-diversity-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inside Higher Ed<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/tyt.com\/stories\/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA\/6glj8byawueSKyeA5j9B45\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Young Turks<\/a>, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eveettinger.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Grove City alum<\/a> turned progressive activist and tarot reader. While Lewis was busy demeaning the board and its investigation to anyone who would listen, it came to light that he\u2019d been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridabar.org\/directories\/find-mbr\/profile\/?num=452084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disbarred<\/a> in Florida for failing to cooperate with an investigation into whether he\u2019d mishandled client funds. To the surprise of many, GCC\u2019s Business Law instructor had personally experienced the business end of the law.<\/p>\n<p>For the reform-minded administrator, allowing Lewis\u2019 part-time contract to lapse should have been low-hanging fruit. However, according to the Grove City website, not only has Lewis been brought back to campus this fall, he was <em>promoted <\/em>to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gcc.edu\/Home\/Staff-Directory\/Staff-Detail\/cedric-e-lewis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship<\/a>. What\u2019s the message? If you accuse GCC\u2019s administration of being nasty closed-minded conservatives vociferously enough, they will forgive all your trespasses and give you what you want.<\/p>\n<p>All this leads to one conclusion: despite the board\u2019s moral clarity and strong leadership, Grove City\u2019s administration has not lived up to its responsibility. In retrospect, it was foolhardy to imagine that the campus leaders who oversaw and covered up GCC\u2019s initial mission drift could have been capable of steering the college straight. If the board wishes to conserve Grove City\u2019s extraordinary legacy and extend it into the future, it should find new administrators who understand what needs to be done and have the courage to do it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Josh Abbotoy is the Executive Director of American Reformer. He is also a Managing Director at New Founding. A seasoned private equity lawyer by background, Josh is the grateful beneficiary of Christian education, having been homeschooled, then earning his B.A. (History) from Union University and an M.A. (Medieval and Byzantine Studies) from the Catholic University of America before earning his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is a member of University Park Baptist Church in Houston, TX and splits his time between Texas and the hills of Middle Tennessee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-comments mt-30 mt-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-comments-container d-flex flex-column align-items-center py-30\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"110\" height=\"106\" src=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/fdrlst-mark.svg\" class=\"img-fluid mb-20\" alt=\"The Federalist logo eagle mark\" \/>    <\/p>\n<p>Unlock commenting by joining the Federalist Community.<\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/plans\/pricing\/\" class=\"btn btn-on-white\">Subscribe<\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Few institutions of higher learning can match Grove City College\u2019s (GCC) legacy of conservatism and independence. During the Reagan Revolution, the college famously sued the Department of Education over government<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1315,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1628237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1628237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1315"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1628237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1628237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1628237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1628237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1628237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}