Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell says it's 'so stupid' for parents to be responsible for their kids' education

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

U.S. Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell thinks it’s 'stupid' for parents to raise their own kids, and that it should be up to the teachers to decide how and what they learn.

Firing back at Republican Sen. Tim Scott who said “We are putting parents back in charge of their kids’ education,” Swalwell wrote to say that the statement was “so stupid.”

"Please tell me what I’m missing here. What are we doing next? Putting parents in charge of their own surgeries? Clients in charge of their own trials? When did we stop trusting experts. This is so stupid," Swalwell tweeted. 

Please tell me what I’m missing here. What are we doing next? Putting patients in charge of their own surgeries? Clients in charge of their own trials? When did we stop trusting experts. This is so stupid. pic.twitter.com/VZRMZpp234

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 10, 2022

Swalwell’s remarks relate to the pushback by Republican legislatures and governors against Critical Race Theory and radical gender ideology in schools. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis passed a bill forcing schools to offer full transparency of their curriculum to parents.

All six school board candidates endorsed by DeSantis won their elections. 

Swalwell was hammered for his remarks shortly after he posted them.

"We stopped trusting ‘experts’ when they locked our kids out of classrooms, tried to force-feed them propaganda, and proved that their political agendas were more important than our kids’ wellbeing," Nicki Neily, the president of Parents Defending Education, wrote in response.

"This might be the most asinine comparison and general view of a parent’s role in their own child’s education that I have ever seen publicly stated," wrote Caleb Rowden, majority leader of the Missouri Senate.

"Parents choose the medical procedures their child will undergo, which doctors will perform it," wrote criminal defense attorney Marina Medvin. "Clients choose which lawyer will represent them, whether they will go to trial, etc. This example is a perfect one for my parents should choose schools, teachers, and even curriculum."