In response to Right Wing criticism of Kevin Jennings, who was appointed by President Obama to head the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (OSDFS), People For the American Way President Michael B. Keegan issued the following statement.

“It’s a bad sign for our civic conversation that an educator who has spent so long working for the best interests of all students faces such vehement political attacks. Kevin Jennings has devoted his career to ensuring that all students can learn in a safe environment, and he’s precisely the kind of person who should lead the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

“Kevin has spoken openly and honestly about the challenges he’s faced as a student and as a teacher, and he’s made it his life’s work to make schools a safe place where all students can learn and grow. Kevin Jennings is ideally suited to lead the OSDFS; the current hysteria from the far right should not be allowed to divert him from that critical work.

###