Pennsylvania school board cancels '30 Rock' actor's anti-bullying talk because of 'his lifestyle'

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MECHANICSBURG, PA -- Maulik Pancholy will not speak at an anti-bullying assembly in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, after a school board voted to rescind the invitation. The vote was decided 8-0 during a public meeting on Monday (Apr. 15). 

Pancholy was scheduled to speak to students at Mountain View Middle School. Several board members expressed concern about the 30 Rock actor’s activism and children’s book, The Best At It, which is about an Indian American boy who is gay. 

“It’s not discriminating against his lifestyle — that’s his choice,” Board Member Kelly Potteiger said during the meeting. “But it’s him speaking about it,” she added. 

Other board members held a similar sentiment. “If you research this individual, he labels himself as an activist, he is proud of his lifestyle and I don’t think that should be imposed upon our students at any age,” Board Member Bud Shaffner said during the meeting. 

Although the board members remained confident in their decision, some students and parents expressed regret over Pancholy’s appearance being canceled at Mountain View Middle School.

“As a member of the Cumberland Valley School District community, I am deeply saddened by the Cumberland Valley School Board's decision to cancel an assembly scheduled at Mountain View Middle School,” Trisha Comstock shared in her Change.org petition statement. The concerned mother initiated the petition in an effort to have Pancholy’s invitation reinstated. 

“This decision was made solely because he is openly gay,” Comstock continued. “Being LGBTQ+ isn't a dirty little secret to protect our students from. To have someone with Maulik's life experiences would have been inspirational for our students. It is important that we teach our children about diversity and acceptance from an early age.”

Comstock went on to say, “The cancellation of this assembly sends a harmful message to our students - that being different is something to be ashamed of or hidden away. We must challenge this narrative by reinstating the assembly with Maulik Pancholy.”

To date, Trisha Comstock’s petition to reinstate Maulik Pancholy’s invitation has garnered 2,035 of its requested 2,500 signatures. More than 1,100 of those signatures were given on Thursday (Apr. 18).