Suparna Dutta ousted from Virginia education board

Rejection of Indian immigrant’s nomination came after an Indian American lawmaker accused her of distorting American history

The Democrat-led Virginia State Senate has rejected Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s nomination of Indian American Suparna Dutta, who championed “traditional American values” to the Virginia Board of Education.

Senate rejection of Dutta, who immigrated to the United States from India, a week after she sparred with another board member over whether public schools should present socialism as “incompatible with democracy,” Fox News reported.

”I thought people celebrated diversity. Whether it’s diversity of thought, diversity of viewpoint or diversity of any of the many characteristics?” Suparna Dutta, told Fox News ahead of the vote. “I’m flummoxed.”

Read: Indian American professor sued by University of Missouri for stealing student’s research (March 5, 2019)

Youngkin appointed Dutta to the Virginia Board of Education in July. Dutta was set to be confirmed by the Senate of Virginia Tuesday night along with a host of other appointees to various government positions.

But Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, another Indian American, introduced a last-minute amendment removing Dutta from the nominations. The amendment passed on a party-line 22-18 vote, Fox News reported citing a progressive group that tracks the state’s General Assembly.

“In taking a look at the history of this particular individual [Dutta] that there are areas of problematic concerns for all of us,” Hashmi said according to another media report.

“This particular board member [Dutta] indicated that racism was not a factor in American history, that the Constitution of the United States did not have any indications of racism or slavery within the document,” she was quoted as saying.

Senate Democrats “voted to remove Suparna Dutta, shockingly claiming that a public school parent isn’t qualified to serve on the Board of Education,” Youngkin said in a statement.

“She is a mother and advocate for parents’ rights, she is an immigrant and an advocate for Asian American rights, she is an engineer and advocate for STEM in education.”

“She is not only qualified, she epitomizes parental involvement in our schools and we need her voice on our Board of Education,” the governor continued.

Dutta’s ousting follows a contentious exchange last week during a board meeting reviewing proposed changes to history and social science standards in Virginia public schools, according to Fox News.

Two of the foundational principles outlined in the learning standards are that the “Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are remarkable documents” and that socialism and communism are “incompatible with democracy and individual freedoms.”

Board member Anne Holton said she was “uncomfortable” with that language as “You cannot reference the Declaration of Independence and Constitution as remarkable documents without also acknowledging that they contain fundamental flaws of enshrining slavery and limiting the protections that they provided for only to white, propertied men.”

Minutes later, Dutta chimed in to defend the Constitution and excoriate socialism, according to Fox News. “I think socialism is just about as bad as communism,” Dutta said. “It co-opts the important decisions belonging to families and individuals.”

“Somebody had to jump in and challenge that viewpoint,” Dutta told Fox News Tuesday. “America is great. America’s founding documents are great. And I do believe that socialism is very destructive, coming from a country which was founded as a socialist country.”

Drafting of the new standards began under Democratic Governor Ralph Northam and restarted in August after Youngkin took over and appointed new board members, including Dutta, according to local news outlet WRIC.

Swift backlash followed, with many who spoke at public hearings voicing outrage over proposed changes — including describing Native Americans as the United States’ first immigrants — and accusing Youngkin’s administration of whitewashing history.

Dutta was labeled a “far-right extremist” by the democratic Virginia Grassroots Coalition, which started a campaign against her confirmation.

The coalition called her divisive, disruptive and “not qualified” to be a board member, and pointed to controversial remarks she made during previous meetings, such as branding colonialism, enslavement and racism “questionable concepts.”

Dutta denied the allegations. She also said in a prior meeting that she would like to see public school curriculums based on “traditional American values.”

Read: Education board member gets booted after defending Constitution, speaking out against socialism (February 8, 2023)

Youngkin slammed Democrats for refusing to confirm Dutta to the Board of Education. Youngkin said Dutta “epitomizes parental involvement in our schools” and was qualified to serve on the board.

Ahead of the confirmation vote, Dutta told Fox News no matter the outcome, she would “always be thankful to be in America” and participate in democracy.

“Only in America can a common person be heard … and be part of the process,” she was quoted as saying. “And I will continue to fight for education for our children.”