Smithtown Schools Apologize For 'Politically Charged' Speaker

SMITHTOWN, NY — The first Family Literacy Night hosted by the Smithtown Central School District has ended in controversy.

Parents complained that a guest speaker, Long Island theater actress Diamond Essence White, should not have been invited to read to students because of her social media posts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. The complaints led the superintendent to issue an apology.

White volunteered to read an excerpt of the children's book "Not Quite Snow White" at the Jan. 6 virtual literacy event and spoke about her career, including her time on Broadway. She was asked to prerecord her segment because Smithtown parents objected to school administrators about her political views and there was worry there would be tension if it was live, she told Newsday. She did not talk about politics in her segment, according to parents.

An anonymous letter by a parent about White was read at a School Board meeting this week.

"Why was such a politically charged person selected to be star speaker?" the parent wrote. "Our school should be a politically neutral place."

Superintendent Mark Secaur issued an apology at the meeting.

"A family literacy night should not turn into a polarizing event," Secaur said. "The district should have done a better job vetting this person and her social media history prior to her participation."

Secaur added that new protocols would be put in place to avoid a similar situation.

Some Smithtown parents criticized the school district's actions.

Kathy Podair told Patch she has had children in the district for 16 years and isn't shocked by the reaction of the community to White and the superintendent's apology.

"I find it very upsetting," Podair said. "He is kowtowing to the underbelly of racism that exists in this town. Smithtown’s history of racism is one of Long Island’s worst-kept secrets. It’s no coincidence that the MAGA rallies came to a head in this town.

"The district did nothing wrong by inviting Ms. White to speak, and they are perpetuating the systematic racism in this community by succumbing to the pressure of an ignorant mob of racist parents."

White issued a statement on Twitter Friday afternoon.

"It is disheartening to hear that you were disappointed in my being chosen to speak because of my stance on Black Lives Matter and my criticism of the police," she wrote. "I do not apologize for any statements made on my social media. I meant them and [came] from my own personal experiences of hurt and anger due to racism in this country and police brutality.

"Even with all this uproar, I do not regret doing this event for the kids. I agreed to talk to your children even though I already knew I was receiving such harsh critique. [I] never mentioned any of my political views."

White asked the superintendent "to consider what message you are sending ... by apologizing for having me there."

What do you think?