Mendacious Michael “Hundreds of Millions” Gottesman Tries to Bully Colts Neck Over the Visit by the US Secretary of Education. Will the NJ Press Help Him Again?

Mendacious Michael “Hundreds of Millions” Gottesman and his NJEA-funded New Jersey Public Education Coalition (NJPEC) are back at it, trying to intimidate Colts Neck parents and the elected school board with his typical bullying and inflammatory rhetoric. Once again, Gottesman viciously attacks Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in the harshest terms without any regard for the murder of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk and the current environment fraught with political violence. And once again, Gottesman seeks to enlist the New Jersey press corps to help him intimidate his opponents.  And no wonder: despite Gottesman being a proven, serial liar and bully, several “reporters,” including North.Jersey.com’s Mary Ann Koruth, InsiderNJ‘s Fred Snowflack, and the Asbury Park Press‘s Amanda Oglesby, have written one-sided “news” articles that read like NJPEC press releases.  Has any of them thought through what sort of voice they are amplifying?

Colts Neck earns Gottesman’s wrath by passing a “Parental Bull of Rights.” What has the Colts Neck school board done to incur the wrath of the proven, serial bully Gottesman? They passed a “Parents Bill of Rights” that seeks to ensure that parent’s have control over their children’s lives. One can debate whether parents should have such control but the Colts Neck school board was elected by the citizens of Colts Neck and has a mandate to pass reforms they deem appropriate. By mobilizing NJPEC members (and utilizing NJPEC’s NJEA funding) and the press, Gottesman seeks to bring in outside forces to disrupt the legitimate actions of the elected school board.

And proudly hosting a visit by the US Secretary of Education. The source of Gottesman’s newest bullying attempt is an email to parents of the Cedar Drive Middle School (CDMS) proudly informing them that the US Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, will visit the school as part of a national tour to all 50 states to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The “History Rocks!” tour is a partnership between USDOE, the America First Policy Institute, TPUSA, Hillsdale College and more than 40 national and state organizations. CDMS was selected to represent New Jersey. McMahon’s visit include a whole-school assembly, classroom visits, and a discussion with the school board, students, teachers, and administrators.  As the Colts Neck superintendent rightfully proclaims: “I am deeply proud of this moment for our district. This visit provides an extraordinary opportunity to highlight the work of our students, educators, support staff, and Board of Education.”

More inflammatory rhetoric from the irresponsible outsider Gottesman. But that’s not how the progressive zealot and non-Colts Neck resident Gottesman sees it. Rather — as he has done in the past — Gottesman uses incendiary words to attack the school board, calling them “right-wing extremists.” It gets even worse for TPUSA, which Gottesman has repeatedly attacked in the past:

TPUSA and its late founder, Charlie Kirk, have clearly taken racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic stances in the past. [Emphasis added.]

Once again, the irresponsible Gottesman is completely oblivious to threat such inflammatory rhetoric presents to TPUSA members and supporters.  Once again, we ask: is Gottesman putting a target on their backs?

Gottesman further declares: “It is obvious that powers beyond our state intend to use Colts Neck as their proving ground for the introduction” of a curriculum that “will be biased and will push specific religious and political ideologies.” Gottesman states this as if it’s a fact, but of course this is just Gottesman’s opinion and he offers no proof for his claim.

Lastly comes Gottesman’s call to arms: “some action needs to be taken” against “this threat to public education.” Who is the real extremist here?

Will the New Jersey press corps dutifully help Gottesman’s bullying again? As with several instances in the past (here, here, and here), Gottesman once again calls upon the New Jersey press corps to help him bully the Colts Neck district and school board.  No wonder, given the dutiful compliance of NorthJersey.com’s Mary Ann Koruth, InsiderNJ‘s Fred Snowflack, and most recently the Asbury Park Press‘s Amanda Oglesby. Apparently, there are plenty of “reporters” in the New Jersey press corps who are more than happy to help Gottesman by publishing “news” articles that read like NJPEC press releases. Which “reporter” will help him this time? We wonder if any of them have thought through the danger of amplifying Gottesman’s incendiary rhetoric in the current environment.  And we continue to wonder why not one New Jersey reporter has questioned the NJEA’s funding for Gottesman’s bullying of New Jersey school boards and districts across the state.

Despite Gottesman being a proven, serial liar. And, of course, the mendacious Gottesman is a proven, serial liar, who got his moniker “Hundreds of Millions” because he blatantly lied to the Star-Ledger. Why would so many New Jersey reporters take Gottesman’s word on anything? That they have done so in such a biased fashion casts a dismal light on the current state of the New Jersey press corps.