Schools used to teach students the dangers of succumbing to peer pressure. However, even teachers cannot stand up for their convictions because of peer pressure (amongst other institutional pressures). In Fear and Self-Loathing at the Elite Boarding School Conference, Michael Weiss, a teacher/administrator, shares his experience at The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) Annual Conference. Here is an excerpt describing his experience following a "DEI speech" at that conference.
"Then there was the fear—or rather, the contrasting fears. After Ms. Williams’ speech I could not speak with the co-attendee from my school about what he thought and what I thought. We walked from the ballroom, headed for the elevator, and as we moved, we kept starting and stopping our conversation because conference goers kept walking by, or joining us in the elevator, or we'd round a corner, and we'd see someone. We would both instinctively shut our mouths; after all, our names, our roles, and our school’s name were printed on our lanyards, and we knew it. My colleague realized this before I did a few moments earlier when he said to me, “We’re all standing, gotta stand, gotta stand,” as the crowd applauded after Ms. Williams’ speech. And though I did not clap—I stood. Because of the fear. What if the woman I recognized from an earlier session who was sitting behind me recognized me and remembered my name? What if we were overheard? What if the internets got wind of that school whose white male administrators disapproved of that DEI speech? How fast would our school sink were we “outed” or “canceled” in that way? That fear was real, and it followed us—it follows me now as I publish this for public consumption.”
What would have happened if Micah Weiss had not remained seated? What about the students who are forced to do this daily at school? How will students ever learn if their teachers can’t model moral courage? Or maybe that’s the point?
What is the purpose of independent schools? In their quest to be “inclusive” and by compelling suffocating empathy, have they created cultures of fear and self-loathing?
Resources
Self-censorship has real mental health consequences for students, their families, and our future as a country. How does it impact their ability to flourish?
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