FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
March 7, 2017
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Head of DeVos-Backed Education Group Resigns After ‘Shake My Wife’ Comments
While Gary Naeyaert’s words were despicable, GLEP still advocates for terrible policies
LANSING — According to Gongwer News Service, Gary Naeyaert, the head of Betsy DeVos’ anti-public education group, Great Lakes Education Project, has resigned from his position after Progress Michigan exposed his comments in a Senate Committee where he said he wanted to shake a state official “like I like to shake my wife.”
“For the first time during his career at GLEP, Gary Naeyaert has done the right thing by stepping down after his comments making light of domestic violence. His comments were unwarranted and disgusting and he needed to go,” said Sam Inglot, deputy communications director at Progress Michigan. “However, the work that GLEP does at the behest of Betsy DeVos to dismantle public education and attack teachers in Michigan continues and must continue to be exposed as well. The DeVos model for education is based on an out-of-control, ineffective free market ideology and in turn they got a director that was out-of-control and lobbied for robbing children of an equal education during the last six years of total Republican control in Lansing. Mr. Naeyaert may be gone, but we’ll continue to scrutinize right-wing groups like GLEP and advocate for equal public education for all.”
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