Sen. Ted Cruz is claiming without evidence that teachers are exposing children to pornography amidst a broader right-wing push to ban books in schools and libraries.
“Take a look at some of the portions from books that parents are going to school boards and reading out loud; this is what my child is being taught,” said Cruz in an interview with Insider. “And in too many instances, you have left-wing educators putting explicit pornography in front of kids. I think that is severely misguided.”
Cruz did not cite specific examples of pornography in schools and representatives of state teachers and library associations have disputed his claim, with one person calling it “baloney.”
Republicans in Texas and throughout the country have been leading efforts to ban books that address topics such as race, sexuality, and anything else they don’t want kids to learn about. State Rep. Steve Toth specifically mentioned the children’s book “Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness” while pushing for a school censorship bill. In Tenessee, a school board attracted national controversy over its decision to ban “Maus,” an acclaimed graphic novel about the Holocaust.
All this is from a party that claims to fight for free speech. Cruz has a colored history when it comes to pornography. In 2017, the senator sparked an internet frenzy when his official Twitter account liked a pornographic video.
William serves as the Washington Correspondent for the Texas Signal, where he primarily writes about Congress and other federal issues that affect Texas. A graduate of Colorado College, William has worked on Democratic campaigns in Texas, Colorado, and North Carolina. He is an internet meme expert.
