NORTH CAROLINA -- At least one Republican state representative does not agree with classes being canceled so that thousands of North Carolina teachers can attend a rally in Raleigh. That lawmaker blaming "teacher union thugs" for students missing class and parents being inconvenienced.

Representative Mark Brody represents District 55 which covers Union and Anson counties. In a Facebook post, he said the May 16 rally and march is “teacher union thugs wanting to control the education process.”  The post has gotten a lot of shares and comments and he told Spectrum News he stands by that post.

"The worst part about it is it's the ‘I don't care what happens to kids, I don't care what happens to the parents, I'm going,’ that's what frightens me about this," Brody explained.

In a 6-paragraph long post, Brody says Union County teachers, and others across the state, have chosen to inconvenience tens of thousands of parents in order to pressure the General Assembly to increase their pay. Educators, however, will counter that the rally is about much more than pay.

It's also, they say, about things like school overcrowding and school safety. Brody said over the phone, while he supports their message, he does not support the method. He says in the post the rally is teaching children that it is okay to not show up for work. Furthermore, he said he does want the North Carolina school system to turn into Chicago.

"Union thugs does not refer to the average teacher, who may even support what the union does,” Brody said. “Union thugs are those leaders. Those are the ones that are problematic and I see it. It's clear what their intent was. Their intent is to generate support for to have the General Assembly formally recognize the teachers union as the bargaining unit for the teachers."

So far, nine districts across the Charlotte-metropolitan area have decided to cancel classes on May 16.

 

 

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