Randi Weingarten accuses Rufo of 'using lies to undermine America's public schools' in TIME op-ed

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American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten continued her attacks against Christopher Rufo on Friday in a op-ed published by TIME Magazine.

Weingarten and Stand for Children CEO Jonah Edelman argued against recent Republican-led education bills in an article titled "Extremists Are Using Lies to Undermine America’s Public Schools: We Need to Take a Stand."

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Christopher F. Rufo is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. (Fox News)

"They are banning library books, textbooks, and news services that help students learn to identify misinformation. They are demanding teachers remain neutral on, or worse—teach both sides of—Nazism, slavery, lynching, and other historical atrocities. And they are encouraging lawsuits against teachers and school districts that teach thorough and accurate history," the pair wrote. "They are marginalizing and dehumanizing LBGTQ students and teachers and same sex families and barring students from receiving mental health services and lessons that foster their social and emotional development and well-being."

Weingarten and Edelman specifically referenced the City Journal writer and fellow Manhattan Institute fellow as part of a "nationally orchestrated and funded" effort to ruin the public school system.

"As Rufo made clear, the assaults on public schools in state after state are part of a nationally orchestrated and funded campaign. The goal is to destabilize public education and replace it with a universal, unregulated voucher system which would increase segregation and exacerbate already wide gaps between the rich and the rest of us," they wrote.

The two went as far as to compare Rufo’s efforts to expose wokeness in public institutions to Russian disinformation over the war in Ukraine.

FILE PHOTO: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten speaks at a news conference to unveil congressional Democrat's "A Better Deal" economic agenda on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 1, 2017. (REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein/File Photo)

"We know from history, and we are seeing in real-time with Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, that unchecked disinformation and dehumanization cause untold damage and suffering," they continued. "If people of conscience stay on the sidelines, Rufo and other extremists could well succeed in their drive to weaken public education, undermining our democracy and further eroding America’s middle class."

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Rufo responded to this article from his Twitter account.

"Randi Weingarten says the campaign to give parents a choice in their children's education is equivalent to Hitler's "Big Lie" that set the stage for the Holocaust. The teachers unions are bleeding support and lashing out desperately and incoherently. Keep pressing them," Rufo tweeted.

Chris Rufo tweeted "Randi Weingarten says the campaign to give parents a choice in their children's education is equivalent to Hitler's 'Big Lie' that set the stage for the Holocaust. The teachers unions are bleeding support and lashing out desperately and incoherently. Keep pressing them." (Twitter)

He added, "She instructed all of her goons to artificially amplify her deranged op-ed. It's a transparent and pathetic attempt to shift the blame from her own failed policies: shutting down schools, masking children, and pushing radical race and gender ideologies."

Chris Rufo tweeted "She instructed all of her goons to artificially amplify her deranged op-ed. It's a transparent and pathetic attempt to shift the blame from her own failed policies: shutting down schools, masking children, and pushing radical race and gender ideologies." (Twitter)

"Hitler murdered millions of innocents, perpetuated an ethnic genocide, and attempted to put the world under tyranny. Shame on @rweingarten for trivializing these atrocities and comparing parents who want a better education for their children to Nazis. Repulsive behavior," he concluded. 

Chris Rufo tweeted "Hitler murdered millions of innocents, perpetuated an ethnic genocide, and attempted to put the world under tyranny. Shame on @rweingarten for trivializing these atrocities and comparing parents who want a better education for their children to Nazis. Repulsive behavior." (Twitter)

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Rufo threatened Weingarten with legal action last week after the latter on Twitter incorrectly quoted Rufo from his Hillsdale College April speech. Weingarten appeared to combine two separate portions of his speech, claiming that Rufo aimed to "sow distrust" of public schools.