Moms for Liberty reacts after NAACP wants Nathan Rust to be removed from BREC

The NAACP Baton Rouge Branch is calling for current East Baton Rouge School Board member to be removed from his position as a commissioner of the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge.

Nathan Rust nominated Paige Lowry, the co-chair of the East Baton Rouge Moms for Liberty chapter, to a panel of parents who interviewed candidates for the East Baton Rouge school system superintendent position.

The NAACP Baton Rouge Branch says Lowry was the wrong choice, because she is a member of Moms for Liberty. They called the group a political advocacy organization that opposes DEI initiatives nationwide.BRProud reached out to BREC and commissioner chair, Kevin Pointer. Pointer said Rust’s term ends at the discretion of the school board. BRProud also reached out to Rust and emailed him. We never heard back.

Rust said in a July 9 Facebook post that he nominated Lowry, “because she has a depth of knowledge about Education in the State of Louisiana.” He said Moms for Liberty is a passionate group of parents advocating for their rights in public education.

BRProud also reached out to EBR School Board president, Carla Powell-Lewis, about the NAACP Baton Rouge Branch’s demand to remove Rust from BREC. We could not reach her for comment.

BRProud did get a statement from the East Baton Rouge Moms for Liberty chapter. See the statement below.

“Moms for Liberty East Baton Rouge Parish is parental rights organization that is dedicated for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government. We welcome all that have a desire to stand up for parental rights and appreciate the ability to be a part of the panel of parents to ask questions to the former candidates of the EBR’s Superintendent search.

“What makes our country great is the ability to welcome a diverse group of voices to the table, which we fully support. It’s unfortunate of the call to remove Nathan Rust, as this is nothing more than an attack on free speech and the attempt to censor one’s voice due to a difference of opinion.  

“One of the greatest things we can do in this country is include parents from all walks of life who want the best for students and their education. We have helped parents engage and learn how to advocate for their children, helped to engage the public through hosting meetings, including a school board forum years ago where all candidates were invited to present their positions and be asked questions from the public.

“Community engagement is a good thing, and we look forward to providing more opportunities in the future for parents and community members to be informed of educational issues in schools across East Baton Rouge Parish.