Anarchist Educators – Preschool, Elementary and University Teachers Arrested in Protests in Portland

This year, parents across the country will have the unique opportunity to see how educators are teaching their children, which, if Portland, Oregon is any indication, is more important now than ever. Arrest records indicate that several of those arrested for participating in the Antifa and anarchist backed riots in Portland are educators, from preschool teachers to university professors.  

In response to the death of George Floyd, anarchists, Antifa and other anti-government groups have used the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement to cause chaos in cities across the country, especially Portland. The city has seen more than 90 days of protests and riots, including a shooting death this weekend.

Some of those arrested for the riots have included professional protestors and, most disturbingly, a staggering number of educators and social workers. Here are some of those identified by Andy Ngo, an independent journalist, and news reports.

Jacob Soto, who was arrested by police and charged with felony riot and interfering with a peace officer, is apparently a band teacher at Mt. Tabor Middle School in Portland.

April Lynn Epperson, a paraeducator at Jason Lee Elementary School, was arrested for interfering with a peace officer and disorderly conduct. There is a picture circulating of April posing in a Portland Association of Teachers BLM t-shirt with a Black Power fist included in the image.

Alice Elizabeth Johnson, also known as “Alice Phallus,” reportedly works with kids in the foster system as a “life skills coach.” She was also recently arrested for participating in the Portland protests.

Hannah Rose Fewster, another recent arrestee, is a preschool teacher at Sweet Day Community School. She signed, along with other educators, a letter to Oregon Governor Kate Brown, demanding the “closure of all normal operations of early childcare programs in Oregon in order to ‘flatten the curve’ of COVID-19’” in March.

Lori Eberly, when not being arrested for interfering with a peace officer, is a licensed clinical social worker and leader of the Radius team and a program and book called F—kery. She even calls herself the F—kery Lady. Her website includes a long section about race, which reads in part, “Radius exists to develop self-aware leaders and identify habits that damage trust. We do not run from the truth – we face it. Institutional racism is f—kery. Internalized racism is f—kery. Police brutality is f—kery.”

Eberly even posted a picture of her own mugshot on Instagram, stating, “This is the look of ‘I will never unsee the fall of democracy.’ This is the face of a pacifist arrested and charged with interfering with a police officer while sitting on the corner of Fenwick & Lombard. This is what happens when a middle-aged white woman protests the shooting of #jacobblake. Perhaps you see how tired she is of Black genocide and Stormtroopers inciting violence and chaos upon non-violent American citizens demanding accountability and reform.”

These are just some of the people educating and interacting with young children and young adults in Portland, but what about the rest of the country? No doubt, many other educators have participated in various “protests,” i.e. riots, that often descend into violence and anarchy. It raises serious questions about the education that teachers are receiving and what some are teaching young and impressionable students.

One school district even sent a letter home asking parents to avoid watching any of their children’s virtual classroom sessions, citing privacy reasons.

There are many fantastic teachers and educators out there, my sister being one of them, but there are also those more interested in pushing an agenda than providing children, teenagers and young adults with a quality education.

As many young students start their new term at home in distance learning, it may be a great time to observe and see first-hand what your children are learning.

Photo from NumenaStudios / Shutterstock.com

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