After decades of dedication to education, one Seattle principal’s life unraveled overnight in the grip of cancel—or as he calls it, revenge—culture. He is finally ready to tell his story.
Great post and article. I never thought about how it's the "E" in DEI that ruins it. I agree that diversity and inclusion are a positive thing, but DEI goes too far. When it gets to the point of hyper focusing on oppressors and oppressed and making racist statements such as "all white people are racist," it's divisive, destructive and dangerous, such as what happened to Richard Bilkzto: https://quillette.com/2023/07/21/rip-richard-bilkszto/
True DEI training should focus on understanding and celebrating our differences, not dividing us.
On another note, you mentioned, “so many people who got burned were the ones who were originally holding the pitchforks.” Yes, I had drunk the Koolaid and got burned. So did the district superintendent, who threw me under the bus by basically stating that they got rid of me so the problem is over, as reported here: Seattle schools superintendent responds to racism allegations – KIRO 7 News Seattle
And then there was the school board president, who was the most woke person I’d ever met: REVEALED: Woke Seattle school board chief who shut down gifted and talented sites because they had too many white and Asian students was accused of RACISM by colleagues during anti-racism training scheme | Daily Mail Online
You’re right that the woke movement eats their own.
Ed, your story breaks my heart. We need good administrators. I am in public education in WA (in the capitol city) and know of what you speak. I look forward to hearing you during the webinar of November 17th. Be well.
Ed, thank you for telling your story. Living in the Seattle area, this is unfortunately not surprising. The type of "DEI" practiced in Seattle Public Schools is the flavor that embraces a double standard and normalized hatred against certain groups (the same kind of thinking that normalized anti-Jewish hatred at the university level in the past 2 years). People in these environments are so afraid of being called racist that they are willing to actually BE racist in order to avoid such an accusation. And of course, if you're a white person accused of racism, you're automatically guilty and nothing, not even the truth, will save you. I hope, Ed, that telling your story publicly will help you find some peace.
I totally empathize with Ed, and hope justice prevails in his favor. I must take you to task for your statement about normalized anti-Jewish hatred at the University level in the past 2 years. That is not true, and is a narrative that was pushed by pro-Israel groups like the ADL, AIPAC, Betar, Canary Mission etc. These protests were anti-genocide, pro-Palestinian freedom from 78 years of oppression and occupation. The largest and most publicized demonstration was at Columbia University. The documentary 'Encampments' which was screened in theaters all across the country shows explicitly that many of the protesters at Columbia were Jewish students, Jewish professors, Rabbis, and support from several Jewish organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace, Not in Our Name, etc. The Jewish participants and professors at the protest state emphatically that they observed no anti-Semitism during the protests. Many of the commentators in the documentary are Jewish, and have the courage to speak truth to power.
I suspect there are Jewish students who would take exception to your position. Many of the protesters you mention voiced support for the 10/7 slaughter of Jews.
Of course there are Jewish students who would take exception to my position, but as shown in the NYC election of Mandami, polls showed a majority of Jewish voters under the age of 30 voted for Mandami. Many of the so-called antisemitism charges listed by the ADL, were for wearing a keffiyeh, showing a Palestinian flag, and even just the demonstrations themselves. These pro-Israel students said they felt threatened by these actions. This is all part of a massive PR campaign by pro-Israel factions to stifle and silence any criticism of the Israeli govt, and are using the Antisemitic cudgel to accomplish that, but the tide has turned, and many Americans are done with being threatened if they criticize the actions of a foreign government. This issue has nothing to do with Jews or being a Jew, and everything to do with censorship and the right to criticize.
I agree that the Israeli government, like any other, is not above criticism. But I don’t think you can adequately address the astounding silence concerning - and and more astounding overt support for- the 10/7 horror. In my view the people you’re referring to are inexcusably reticent, at best, about the butchery and rape of 10/7.
Backstory on me, if I may. Vietnam vet, went to Israel/Palestine for 3 months in 2003 to film a series of documentaries. Personally witnessed the daily degradation and brutality inflicted upon innocent Palestinians by IDF soldiers and rabid Israeli settlers. Fact is, American mainstream media rarely shows the reality of what is taking place there, then and now. When people ask me how I could justify what happened on 10/7, I say this. No people on earth should ever be forced to tolerate what Israel has wrought upon the Palestinian people for 78 years, and not have the right, by international law, to be able to fight back against their oppressors. Israel, and their supporters, want the world to believe that this travesty started on 10/7. It started in 1948, and the Nakba, when the Israelis forced 750,000 Palestinians out of their homes and land that they had lived on for many, many generations, and slaughtered thousands in the process. We wouldn't stand for that without resistance, and neither should they.
Yes, the Palestinians have gotten a raw deal. So have the Jews (see: Holocaust), Armenians, Tibetans, the Christians in Nigeria, and tons of people in Sudan. But, they don't have Iran funding terrorist groups to create chaos, like Hamas does.
You recall that Israel left Gaza, right? And are you aware that instead of rebuilding, Hamas engaged in violence again. Even Egypt - a mainly Arab Muslim country - closed its border to the Hamas crazies. Yet it's funny - you never heard the keffiyeh crowd criticizing Egypt.
The world has rules for fighting back. You can negotiate (remember the Oslo accords? the Palestinians opted for war instead of peace), or you can find a war by the rules of civilization. When your charter and behavior is terrorism - behavior that literally hearkens back to acts of house-to-house brutality in the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide - you are an outlaw, and the civilized world is entitled to respond accordingly. The fact that Israel engaged in measured military attacks instead of slaughtering a million people - which Hamas would have done had the tables been turned - shows a sobering difference between Israel and Hamas.
Peace will come when Hamas - a fanatical religious terrorist organization that also oppresses its own people - is quashed. Until then, the violence will continue.
To tie this back to Ed's story, your comment about many Jews opposing Israel is no different than how many whites support anti-white racism (Robbin DiAngelo being perhaps the most famous). And let's not forget, the Democrats for decades have enjoyed labelling any black person with conservative views as an "Uncle Tom". People have different aspects of their identity, and their politics may override their own immutable characteristics, depending on the individual. Perhaps it's similar to why many people who are wealthy and privileged (and Jewish) voted for Mamdani - the human mind is complicated and not always rational.
The lady who “leaked” the false story would be named as an employee of the district. The best part is the only defense to a Defamation suit is that it is true. I’ve seen people cave for far less, like just badmouthing someone in city hall. At a minimum this man deserves full pay and benefits to retirement plus full retirement. But I suspect any half-decent litigator would get far more. In his shoes I’d find the conservative lawsuit factory and send the link to this story. Maybe he has. (Astonishing racist struggle seasons are also a matter for them)
I almost agree with you EXCEPT, it's on social media forever now for everyone to see, including friends, parents, and employers. The days of "this will pass," is no longer the case and neither is "just moving on." I'd like to move on but the lies are still out there for everyone to see. I just want to add the truth.
Ed, except for the first sentence, my comment was made from the perspective of the evildoers and was not intended to suggest any particular course of action on your part. As you well know now, there is no recourse, recovery, or restitution for those mistreated as you were by a faceless and nameless bureaucracy powered by process and driven to its (dismal and predictable) procedural conclusion. What happens to the hapless victim, living in suspended animation, at the hands of other interested parties during and after that process is the true tragedy. The only guilt (more like naiveté) on your part was in associating with such vile people in the first place.
Thank you for sharing your story. We have lived through the craziest period of time that I can remember. You cannot make up the stories that have come out and a society that cancels people for their right to question is a society on the demise
Ed, hello. My name is Aaron Kindsvatter. If you put my name into a search you will learn about my experiences as a college professor in New England, and you will realize I know something about what you are going through. It's important to use the buddy system, so please consder me a buddy and feel free to reach out at kindsvatter.aaron@gmail.com. I have a circle of friends who understand this situation and we'd love it if you would care to join one of our virtual hangouts some time.
I'm reading up on you now, Aaron, and watching one of your videos. So many people I haven't met but who have gone through exactly what Ed (and I) have endured; so many brave fighters who saw the push to the radical left for what it was, called the alarm, were severely punished for it... but who bravely carried on anyway. Thank you for holding the light high, so others can follow.
I'm sorry that you had to live through that. It seems as if both the DEI struggle sessions and media furor were orchestrated to collect kompromat to gain leverage. Pressure people until they confess then use those confessions if anyone gets out of line in the future. In a sense, it is even better when the accusations are false. If they were true, then others could simply avoid such indiscretions. When they can destroy people with false accusations, then everyone can be deterred from crossing progressive orthodoxies because no one is safe.
Ed, I was so pleased to see you had gone ahead with this essay. You are braver than you think, and I like to hope that in our own way essays like these and the connections we make are steps toward regaining the ground lost to the maniac left. As you know my profession in theater was ripped from my hands not once but 3 times, and now I must finally fact the fact that I will not be able to make theater again except under incredibly rare circumstances: that is, with theaters who are willing to endure the terrorism the spittle-mouthed loons launch at anyone considering hiring me or staging my show. (That means virtually none.) FAIR has stood by me and been such a balm during my continued hounding, and I know it is for you, too. I'm proud to call you a fellow traveler. Keep walking on.
This is profoundly disturbing. I am so sorry this happened to you. False accusations are the weapon of the left and the depraved. And they are rarely punished. I hope you prevail in some measurable fashion. Just horrible, really.
I’m a public school teacher in the community where Ed lives. I also volunteer at the same charitable organization. We’ve become friends. Ed is the real deal. He’s got a heart of gold. He’s kind to everyone he meets. He’s humble and honest. But I don’t think people even need these endorsements to have full confidence in his story. As insane as the facts are, they are incontrovertible. If you just read this article, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that though. I’m so glad the full truth of his story is finally getting out! Although we’ve shared a lot of stories over the last few years, he’s not one to complain. Reading this article has brought me to tears. I just didn’t know how bad the injustice and defamation was that he’s endured. After the tears, the next response arises: my blood just boils! This is infuriating. What can we do to fix this injustice? It’s just not OK that good people who serve their communities so ably and so selflessly have their livelihoods and their lives destroyed on what amounts to a toxic and empty virtue-signaling whim. I’m at a loss…. How does Ed move forward? How do we all?
That sounds like a horrible ordeal. I'm never sure how to feel about articles like this. On the one hand, I feel terrible for the individuals. Nobody deserves this, and it is very important to hear their stories, lest we forget the injustices of cancel culture. As this case illustrates, too often these cancellations involve shocking institutional cowardice.
On the other hand, I cannot help but quietly wonder if many of the victims weren't mauled by a monster which they themselves groomed and fed (or at least ignored) before it turned on them. Education is certainly a sector that enthusiastically embraced the ideologies which inevitably give rise to cancel culture.
Mr. Roos has little to say of his own position, but does mention that a colleague described him as "very much an anti-racist.” Really. Did he smile and nod along as the storm clouds grew darker, year after year?
It doesn't take a genius to see that our entire system—our whole society—is based on treating people equally. Not treating them differently to obtain equal outcomes.
According to Bloomberg, from 2020 to 2022, **94% of all new jobs** in Fortune 100 companies were filled by non-white individuals. Between 2015 - 2025 there was a whole generation of young people who did everything right, only for many of them to be denied a chance at success because of the color of their skin. Unlike Mr. Roos, they didn't have a chance to work until they were 55—they were given no chance at all. They are now angry and bitter, and they too want their revenge. The repercussions will echo for decades.
Who stood by and allowed this whole disaster to be set in motion, in 2012-2015? Who remained silent while society fought and struggled to force the evil genie of Wokeism back into its cursed lamp?
Now that the hard-fought battle has been largely won, and the sky is blue, out comes Mr. Roos. I truly do not begrudge him for speaking up. But had he and others spoken up far sooner (say around 2015) society might have avoided a lot of unpleasantness.
Hi - I appreciate your well thought out response. We learn and grow from honest feedback and this is honest, so thank you. I do not disagree with you, you have some very valid points. This is a complex story that I tried my best to summarize in 4 pages. If you are interested, I'd be glad to discuss this further and can be reached at: www.edwardroos.com or follow me on Instagram: edrooseducation.
It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad to know you took my response in the spirit it was intended. You started this intellectual journey. And as the old Zen saying goes: "Enlightenment: best not to start! But once started, best to finish."
You've wandered in the wilderness for 5 years now, pleading with people, saying "I am not a racist! The allegations were factually false!" Yet strangely, have been unable to remove the Scarlet Letter "R." How about that.
Already you know that the words "Diversity," "Equity", and "Inclusion" do not actually mean what they would appear to. Each term refers to a concept in critical theory discourse. (E.g., "inclusion" essentially means speech control.)
You mentioned that you drank the Kool-Aid prior to 2020. Fair enough.
But what about after 2020? What have you learned? Why is it that equity-based initiatives tend to go "too far" as you say? Not just during the Woke Era, but in other times and places as well. Have you noticed, for example, how they have an interesting quirk of always developing an appetite for a steady supply of counter-revolutionaries to be publicly denounced and cancelled? Actual guilt is rarely important. Why is this such a consistent feature of equity-based campaigns?
Is it possible that there is something in group-identity theory that is inimical to the individual?
You blame social media for the indelible nature of the denunciation against you, but this has been a consistent feature of similar movements in the past.
My roommate in grad school was Chinese. Her aunt traveled from China to visit a university here in 2017, and was deeply unsettled by the “politically correct” atmosphere. She said, "This is exactly what the first stirrings of the Cultural Revolution were like. It started on the campuses. You have no idea the danger of these ideas. They always hide behind a mask of compassion for the oppressed and the disadvantaged, but they will destroy your society and must be stopped. Even party members had no idea how far things would go. You must stop this."
What exactly could she have been reacting to, way back in 2017 when you yourself were still clapping along?
"Shortly after my departure, KUOW (Seattle’s NPR affiliate) published a sensationalized, one-sided article describing the playcourt as a “cage.” " I lost all respect for the NPR years ago. They have fact-checking at the level of the National Enquirer. I am so sorry for what you've been put through.
Hi Mary - Yes, FAIR is the one organization that listened and gave me an opportunity to tell my side of the story. Forever grateful!
Great post and article. I never thought about how it's the "E" in DEI that ruins it. I agree that diversity and inclusion are a positive thing, but DEI goes too far. When it gets to the point of hyper focusing on oppressors and oppressed and making racist statements such as "all white people are racist," it's divisive, destructive and dangerous, such as what happened to Richard Bilkzto: https://quillette.com/2023/07/21/rip-richard-bilkszto/
True DEI training should focus on understanding and celebrating our differences, not dividing us.
On another note, you mentioned, “so many people who got burned were the ones who were originally holding the pitchforks.” Yes, I had drunk the Koolaid and got burned. So did the district superintendent, who threw me under the bus by basically stating that they got rid of me so the problem is over, as reported here: Seattle schools superintendent responds to racism allegations – KIRO 7 News Seattle
And then there was the school board president, who was the most woke person I’d ever met: REVEALED: Woke Seattle school board chief who shut down gifted and talented sites because they had too many white and Asian students was accused of RACISM by colleagues during anti-racism training scheme | Daily Mail Online
You’re right that the woke movement eats their own.
Ed, your story breaks my heart. We need good administrators. I am in public education in WA (in the capitol city) and know of what you speak. I look forward to hearing you during the webinar of November 17th. Be well.
Ed, thank you for telling your story. Living in the Seattle area, this is unfortunately not surprising. The type of "DEI" practiced in Seattle Public Schools is the flavor that embraces a double standard and normalized hatred against certain groups (the same kind of thinking that normalized anti-Jewish hatred at the university level in the past 2 years). People in these environments are so afraid of being called racist that they are willing to actually BE racist in order to avoid such an accusation. And of course, if you're a white person accused of racism, you're automatically guilty and nothing, not even the truth, will save you. I hope, Ed, that telling your story publicly will help you find some peace.
I totally empathize with Ed, and hope justice prevails in his favor. I must take you to task for your statement about normalized anti-Jewish hatred at the University level in the past 2 years. That is not true, and is a narrative that was pushed by pro-Israel groups like the ADL, AIPAC, Betar, Canary Mission etc. These protests were anti-genocide, pro-Palestinian freedom from 78 years of oppression and occupation. The largest and most publicized demonstration was at Columbia University. The documentary 'Encampments' which was screened in theaters all across the country shows explicitly that many of the protesters at Columbia were Jewish students, Jewish professors, Rabbis, and support from several Jewish organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace, Not in Our Name, etc. The Jewish participants and professors at the protest state emphatically that they observed no anti-Semitism during the protests. Many of the commentators in the documentary are Jewish, and have the courage to speak truth to power.
I suspect there are Jewish students who would take exception to your position. Many of the protesters you mention voiced support for the 10/7 slaughter of Jews.
Of course there are Jewish students who would take exception to my position, but as shown in the NYC election of Mandami, polls showed a majority of Jewish voters under the age of 30 voted for Mandami. Many of the so-called antisemitism charges listed by the ADL, were for wearing a keffiyeh, showing a Palestinian flag, and even just the demonstrations themselves. These pro-Israel students said they felt threatened by these actions. This is all part of a massive PR campaign by pro-Israel factions to stifle and silence any criticism of the Israeli govt, and are using the Antisemitic cudgel to accomplish that, but the tide has turned, and many Americans are done with being threatened if they criticize the actions of a foreign government. This issue has nothing to do with Jews or being a Jew, and everything to do with censorship and the right to criticize.
I agree that the Israeli government, like any other, is not above criticism. But I don’t think you can adequately address the astounding silence concerning - and and more astounding overt support for- the 10/7 horror. In my view the people you’re referring to are inexcusably reticent, at best, about the butchery and rape of 10/7.
Backstory on me, if I may. Vietnam vet, went to Israel/Palestine for 3 months in 2003 to film a series of documentaries. Personally witnessed the daily degradation and brutality inflicted upon innocent Palestinians by IDF soldiers and rabid Israeli settlers. Fact is, American mainstream media rarely shows the reality of what is taking place there, then and now. When people ask me how I could justify what happened on 10/7, I say this. No people on earth should ever be forced to tolerate what Israel has wrought upon the Palestinian people for 78 years, and not have the right, by international law, to be able to fight back against their oppressors. Israel, and their supporters, want the world to believe that this travesty started on 10/7. It started in 1948, and the Nakba, when the Israelis forced 750,000 Palestinians out of their homes and land that they had lived on for many, many generations, and slaughtered thousands in the process. We wouldn't stand for that without resistance, and neither should they.
Yes, the Palestinians have gotten a raw deal. So have the Jews (see: Holocaust), Armenians, Tibetans, the Christians in Nigeria, and tons of people in Sudan. But, they don't have Iran funding terrorist groups to create chaos, like Hamas does.
You recall that Israel left Gaza, right? And are you aware that instead of rebuilding, Hamas engaged in violence again. Even Egypt - a mainly Arab Muslim country - closed its border to the Hamas crazies. Yet it's funny - you never heard the keffiyeh crowd criticizing Egypt.
The world has rules for fighting back. You can negotiate (remember the Oslo accords? the Palestinians opted for war instead of peace), or you can find a war by the rules of civilization. When your charter and behavior is terrorism - behavior that literally hearkens back to acts of house-to-house brutality in the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide - you are an outlaw, and the civilized world is entitled to respond accordingly. The fact that Israel engaged in measured military attacks instead of slaughtering a million people - which Hamas would have done had the tables been turned - shows a sobering difference between Israel and Hamas.
Peace will come when Hamas - a fanatical religious terrorist organization that also oppresses its own people - is quashed. Until then, the violence will continue.
Sorry, not true. There have been many documented instances of Jew cases in universities, including discussed at TFP (https://www.thefp.com/p/attacking-jews-at-harvard-doesnt) and elsewhere (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-rules-jewish-students-says-ucla-cant-allow-barred-accessing-camp-rcna166529). And of course, much of this came from DEI officers - for example see (https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/13/us/university-of-michigan-fires-dei-administrator). Yes, it's fair to criticize Israel but if you are unwilling to acknowledge the presence of significant Jew-hate on campuses, you are being dishonest with us and yourself.
To tie this back to Ed's story, your comment about many Jews opposing Israel is no different than how many whites support anti-white racism (Robbin DiAngelo being perhaps the most famous). And let's not forget, the Democrats for decades have enjoyed labelling any black person with conservative views as an "Uncle Tom". People have different aspects of their identity, and their politics may override their own immutable characteristics, depending on the individual. Perhaps it's similar to why many people who are wealthy and privileged (and Jewish) voted for Mamdani - the human mind is complicated and not always rational.
Sounds like time to sue.
Defamation. Yes. From the local district to the news outlets. The most astonishing part is how racist this is. And no one cares.
Don’t forget the person who filed original complaint, and probably the neighbors.
The lady who “leaked” the false story would be named as an employee of the district. The best part is the only defense to a Defamation suit is that it is true. I’ve seen people cave for far less, like just badmouthing someone in city hall. At a minimum this man deserves full pay and benefits to retirement plus full retirement. But I suspect any half-decent litigator would get far more. In his shoes I’d find the conservative lawsuit factory and send the link to this story. Maybe he has. (Astonishing racist struggle seasons are also a matter for them)
Yes, I would sue the you know what out of every entity and especially the kindergarten teacher with her false claims.
If only. There's no (longer any) there there. Procedure was followed. Life was ruined. Time to "move on."
I almost agree with you EXCEPT, it's on social media forever now for everyone to see, including friends, parents, and employers. The days of "this will pass," is no longer the case and neither is "just moving on." I'd like to move on but the lies are still out there for everyone to see. I just want to add the truth.
Ed, except for the first sentence, my comment was made from the perspective of the evildoers and was not intended to suggest any particular course of action on your part. As you well know now, there is no recourse, recovery, or restitution for those mistreated as you were by a faceless and nameless bureaucracy powered by process and driven to its (dismal and predictable) procedural conclusion. What happens to the hapless victim, living in suspended animation, at the hands of other interested parties during and after that process is the true tragedy. The only guilt (more like naiveté) on your part was in associating with such vile people in the first place.
And when there’s nowhere to move on to?
Thank you for sharing your story. We have lived through the craziest period of time that I can remember. You cannot make up the stories that have come out and a society that cancels people for their right to question is a society on the demise
Ed, hello. My name is Aaron Kindsvatter. If you put my name into a search you will learn about my experiences as a college professor in New England, and you will realize I know something about what you are going through. It's important to use the buddy system, so please consder me a buddy and feel free to reach out at kindsvatter.aaron@gmail.com. I have a circle of friends who understand this situation and we'd love it if you would care to join one of our virtual hangouts some time.
I'm reading up on you now, Aaron, and watching one of your videos. So many people I haven't met but who have gone through exactly what Ed (and I) have endured; so many brave fighters who saw the push to the radical left for what it was, called the alarm, were severely punished for it... but who bravely carried on anyway. Thank you for holding the light high, so others can follow.
This story is horrifying! You need to go on the offensive. You need to talk to a new lawyer and get your story out on X.
Tag Elon. He’s likely to post it.
Yes-get a NEW lawyer!
Horrific! These people are profoundly evil, in my opinion. You’re a scapegoat because they won’t address their own shortcomings.
I'm sorry that you had to live through that. It seems as if both the DEI struggle sessions and media furor were orchestrated to collect kompromat to gain leverage. Pressure people until they confess then use those confessions if anyone gets out of line in the future. In a sense, it is even better when the accusations are false. If they were true, then others could simply avoid such indiscretions. When they can destroy people with false accusations, then everyone can be deterred from crossing progressive orthodoxies because no one is safe.
This needs to be criminal. Suing is not enough.
This false accuser belongs in prison.
Yes, we need stricter libel and defamation laws to make it all stop. Give people control of their social media presence.
Ed, I was so pleased to see you had gone ahead with this essay. You are braver than you think, and I like to hope that in our own way essays like these and the connections we make are steps toward regaining the ground lost to the maniac left. As you know my profession in theater was ripped from my hands not once but 3 times, and now I must finally fact the fact that I will not be able to make theater again except under incredibly rare circumstances: that is, with theaters who are willing to endure the terrorism the spittle-mouthed loons launch at anyone considering hiring me or staging my show. (That means virtually none.) FAIR has stood by me and been such a balm during my continued hounding, and I know it is for you, too. I'm proud to call you a fellow traveler. Keep walking on.
This is profoundly disturbing. I am so sorry this happened to you. False accusations are the weapon of the left and the depraved. And they are rarely punished. I hope you prevail in some measurable fashion. Just horrible, really.
I’m a public school teacher in the community where Ed lives. I also volunteer at the same charitable organization. We’ve become friends. Ed is the real deal. He’s got a heart of gold. He’s kind to everyone he meets. He’s humble and honest. But I don’t think people even need these endorsements to have full confidence in his story. As insane as the facts are, they are incontrovertible. If you just read this article, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that though. I’m so glad the full truth of his story is finally getting out! Although we’ve shared a lot of stories over the last few years, he’s not one to complain. Reading this article has brought me to tears. I just didn’t know how bad the injustice and defamation was that he’s endured. After the tears, the next response arises: my blood just boils! This is infuriating. What can we do to fix this injustice? It’s just not OK that good people who serve their communities so ably and so selflessly have their livelihoods and their lives destroyed on what amounts to a toxic and empty virtue-signaling whim. I’m at a loss…. How does Ed move forward? How do we all?
That sounds like a horrible ordeal. I'm never sure how to feel about articles like this. On the one hand, I feel terrible for the individuals. Nobody deserves this, and it is very important to hear their stories, lest we forget the injustices of cancel culture. As this case illustrates, too often these cancellations involve shocking institutional cowardice.
On the other hand, I cannot help but quietly wonder if many of the victims weren't mauled by a monster which they themselves groomed and fed (or at least ignored) before it turned on them. Education is certainly a sector that enthusiastically embraced the ideologies which inevitably give rise to cancel culture.
Mr. Roos has little to say of his own position, but does mention that a colleague described him as "very much an anti-racist.” Really. Did he smile and nod along as the storm clouds grew darker, year after year?
It doesn't take a genius to see that our entire system—our whole society—is based on treating people equally. Not treating them differently to obtain equal outcomes.
According to Bloomberg, from 2020 to 2022, **94% of all new jobs** in Fortune 100 companies were filled by non-white individuals. Between 2015 - 2025 there was a whole generation of young people who did everything right, only for many of them to be denied a chance at success because of the color of their skin. Unlike Mr. Roos, they didn't have a chance to work until they were 55—they were given no chance at all. They are now angry and bitter, and they too want their revenge. The repercussions will echo for decades.
Who stood by and allowed this whole disaster to be set in motion, in 2012-2015? Who remained silent while society fought and struggled to force the evil genie of Wokeism back into its cursed lamp?
Now that the hard-fought battle has been largely won, and the sky is blue, out comes Mr. Roos. I truly do not begrudge him for speaking up. But had he and others spoken up far sooner (say around 2015) society might have avoided a lot of unpleasantness.
Hi - I appreciate your well thought out response. We learn and grow from honest feedback and this is honest, so thank you. I do not disagree with you, you have some very valid points. This is a complex story that I tried my best to summarize in 4 pages. If you are interested, I'd be glad to discuss this further and can be reached at: www.edwardroos.com or follow me on Instagram: edrooseducation.
Hi Ed,
It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad to know you took my response in the spirit it was intended. You started this intellectual journey. And as the old Zen saying goes: "Enlightenment: best not to start! But once started, best to finish."
You've wandered in the wilderness for 5 years now, pleading with people, saying "I am not a racist! The allegations were factually false!" Yet strangely, have been unable to remove the Scarlet Letter "R." How about that.
Already you know that the words "Diversity," "Equity", and "Inclusion" do not actually mean what they would appear to. Each term refers to a concept in critical theory discourse. (E.g., "inclusion" essentially means speech control.)
You mentioned that you drank the Kool-Aid prior to 2020. Fair enough.
But what about after 2020? What have you learned? Why is it that equity-based initiatives tend to go "too far" as you say? Not just during the Woke Era, but in other times and places as well. Have you noticed, for example, how they have an interesting quirk of always developing an appetite for a steady supply of counter-revolutionaries to be publicly denounced and cancelled? Actual guilt is rarely important. Why is this such a consistent feature of equity-based campaigns?
Is it possible that there is something in group-identity theory that is inimical to the individual?
You blame social media for the indelible nature of the denunciation against you, but this has been a consistent feature of similar movements in the past.
My roommate in grad school was Chinese. Her aunt traveled from China to visit a university here in 2017, and was deeply unsettled by the “politically correct” atmosphere. She said, "This is exactly what the first stirrings of the Cultural Revolution were like. It started on the campuses. You have no idea the danger of these ideas. They always hide behind a mask of compassion for the oppressed and the disadvantaged, but they will destroy your society and must be stopped. Even party members had no idea how far things would go. You must stop this."
What exactly could she have been reacting to, way back in 2017 when you yourself were still clapping along?
"Shortly after my departure, KUOW (Seattle’s NPR affiliate) published a sensationalized, one-sided article describing the playcourt as a “cage.” " I lost all respect for the NPR years ago. They have fact-checking at the level of the National Enquirer. I am so sorry for what you've been put through.