Sezin Palmer is an unsuitable candidate to represent District 4 on the Board of Education in Howard County. This is a multi-part series discussing the reasons why. See Part 3 here.
I recently saw a home in District 4 with several signs in the front yard. Signs for “Hate Has No Home Here,” Black Lives Matter, a rainbow flag, Joe Biden… and one for Sezin Palmer. This baffling incongruity demonstrates how successful Sezin is in misrepresenting herself to heavily Democratic and liberal District 4. I know what some of you may be thinking – politics are irrelevant in a non-partisan race. But I’ve written before that while the BOE is a non-partisan body, the human beings that comprise it each have their own political beliefs that serve as a lens through which they consider public education policy and make decisions. A candidate’s political leanings can give us a glimpse into their core values – and Sezin Palmer’s core values do not align with those expressed by the other signs in that yard. At all.
Since declaring her candidacy for BOE, Sezin Palmer has presented herself as a data-driven, level-headed, non-partisan candidate who cares about all kids, is tired of polarized politics, and is beholden to no political interests whatsoever. Yet, the evidence proves otherwise. In addition to being heavily bankrolled and endorsed by a political action committee, her own words reveal her distinctly right-wing viewpoints that veer well off the path of “read my lips: no new taxes” and well into the toxic Trumpian realm of thinly veiled racism, conspiracy theories, and the “socialism” boogeyman. In Part I of this series, and in my recent piece on redistricting, I highlighted her problematic statements and behaviors during last fall’s redistricting process. Below is a collection of actual screenshots that paint quite a different picture of Sezin Palmer than the neutral candidate she pretends to be. (Click on each image to view it.)
Regarding LGBTQ+ topics and interests, Sezin Palmer’s views are troubling in this area as well. The organization Community Allies of Rainbow Youth distributed surveys to BOE candidates and graded their responses. Sezin responded in a number of concerning ways, including the following: she stated that parents must be involved if students wish to change their preferred pronouns in the school environment; she doesn’t feel teachers should discuss their sexual orientation with students and does not support discussion of sexual orientation in school; she uses the phrase “sexual preference” rather than “sexual orientation;” she doesn’t support LGBTQ+-themed works of literature, art, and media being introduced into the curriculum; and other red flags. Sezin’s responses earned her a grade of “F” from CARY, at which point she reacted by denigrating the organization (see screenshots below).
Make no mistake – Sezin Palmer is anything but non-partisan. Her George Soros conspiracy theories, patronizing attitudes toward Black citizens, ignorance of LGBTQ+ needs, and dismissal of the very real issues of racism, segregation, and white privilege are clearly indicative of a Trumpian right-wing candidate who will not support marginalized groups. And while political leanings in one direction or another are not necessarily disqualifying for a BOE seat, I think most of us can agree that someone whose political views are so extreme as to deny the existence and impact of systemic racism and to characterize the need for equity in education as “socialism” is a candidate who will not represent the folks in District 4 who live this reality every single day.
Stay tuned for the final post in this series.