Colorado teachers' union rejects capitalism in 'stunning' admission: 'Anti-American'
Woodland Park School Board Vice President David Illingworth joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss his reaction to the rejection and why he believes it could be seen as an advocacy of communism.
A Colorado school district is taking a stand against the state's largest teachers union after it passed a stunning resolution rejecting capitalism.
Woodland Park School Board Vice President David Illingworth told "Fox & Friends First" he was in "shock" after learning of the union's statement and outlined his school board's criticism of the "radical anti-American" resolution.
"I was pretty much in shock from that statement. As vice president of the school board in Woodland Park, it was just pretty stunning to see the biggest teachers union in the state of Colorado openly adopt a radical anti-American resolution like that and be really open about it," Illingworth said Tuesday.
"The mask has come off in Colorado. This union thinks they're too big to fail. They don't think they have to hide their anti-American radical political agenda any longer. And they're determined to push it not just on the government and the people, but on their kids."
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The Colorado Education Association (CEA) released a pointed resolution last month that explained the union's rejection of the free-market economic system.
"CEA believes that capitalism requires exploitation of children, public schools, land, labor, and/or resources. Capitalism is in opposition to fully addressing systemic racism (the school to prison pipeline), climate change, patriarchy, (gender and LGBTQ disparities), education inequality, and income inequality," the resolution said.
The Woodland Park School Board passed its own resolution in response to the union's actions where it unanimously supported economic freedom and principles of the Constitution.
"We're very pleased to take a stand for freedom, whether that's in capitalism, through the economics or whether that's through constitution and equal opportunity. That's what people can do," Illingworth said.
Fox News reached out to CEA regarding concerns over the resolution and received the following response: "Our members reflect our state's diverse views and perspectives, these resolutions reflect our members' aspirations in our collective endeavor to create a safer and more equitable world for Colorado students, educators and communities, and do not require any action from the organization."
Illingworth argued the CEA was simply "doubling down" on the resolution, which he claimed was promoting communism.
"It's always communism when the rubber meets the road," he said. "You can call it Marxism, socialism, but when they start actually putting it into practice and implementing it in all the misery and ugliness that comes with it, it's communism, no doubt about it."
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Illingworth pointed to a "great awakening" among parents nationwide. Since the COVID pandemic, he argued parents are taking a stand through school board elections and advocacy after getting an inside look at the content being woven into education.
"In Colorado, like in many states, the school board is locally elected by the community. And so we represent Woodland Park values. And we're not going to be intimidated, bow or take a knee to a big teachers union that's there to launder money through our teachers into the pockets of special interests and politicians," he said.