The following statement may be attributed to Jane Clementi, mother of Tyler Clementi and Co-Founder of the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which works to end online and offline bullying in schools, workplaces and faith communities.
“The nomination of Betsy DeVos to run the US Department of Education is very distressing. DeVos is ideologically driven and has dedicated much of her life to dismantling public education. Putting her in charge of the very institution she derides should worry all Americans. We need more protections for students – not less, and if DeVos hopes to shift America away from public schools and toward for-profit and charter schools, I worry that the hard won state and federal protections against bullying and civil rights violations will be shredded.
Also, DeVos and her family have made massive financial contributions to right-wing organizations that oppose equality for minorities, especially LGBT people including ballot measures against LGBT equality.
Our Foundation is calling on Betsy DeVos to commit on the record to strengthening anti-bullying protections and laws. And we are calling for the US Senate to get her on the record in regards to these issues. We cannot entrust the USDOE to someone who isn’t committed to the principles of safe, free, equal education for all young people. If DeVos does not commit to doing all she can to protect all youth from the harms of bullying, bias, harassment and humiliation we will oppose her confirmation.”