Overture
For at least the last 4 years, Gene Ponder, 12th grade AP Government teacher at Spanish Fort High School in Alabama has given his students a conservatively biased summer reading assignment. To date, administrators have not responded to the nature of Ponder’s biased assignment, other than Eddie Tyler, Superintendent of Baldwin County Public Schools, who said, “there are a few books on the list which I’d like to read. The content of the list might be of concern to some people, but it wasn’t my concern.”
A source close to Ponder informed Independent Press Journal (IPJ) that the teacher created the conservatively biased assignment in order to balance out a “communist socialist agenda” at his school. The source elaborated, “they’re teaching Islam in school,” and, “conservatives in America face the same type of prejudice as Muslims do – especially white males.”
IPJ has previously shown evidence of in-classroom materials (PowerPoint presentations used for the last 10-years) that appear to show Ponder’s contempt for American government, democracy, the pledge of allegiance, voting/voters, the IRS, NSA, school boards, administrators, and taxpayers.
This report will specifically examine Ponder’s class materials (and his public statements) as they relate to the topics of white privilege, multiculturalism, and racial discrimination.
More curriculum, more points to Ponder:
POINT TO PONDER: DIVISIVENESS
“The Progressive movement, within the Democratic Party, continues to advocate for and create legal divisiveness amongst all Americans, such as: Racial, Ethnic, Religious, Gender, Age, Ability and Socioeconomics.”
– Gene Ponder, October 7, 2016
Voters & Voter Behavior
By: Gene Ponder
“Sociological Factors: Republican: White males, Business Owners, Middle Income to wealthy, professional employees, protestants, roman catholics, mormons, traditional families, retired investors, solid south, rural burbs. Democrat: African Americans & Latinos, labor unions, poor, government employees, low skilled employees, american catholics and Jews & Muslims & Atheists, single-income parents, big cities in Northeast, Pacific West.”
In this slide, Ponder contrasts Republicans as white, rich, business owners, professional employees, and Christians with traditional families, vs Democrats, as minority, poor, Catholic/Jew/Muslim/Atheist, low skilled workers from single-income parents.
It is worth noting that Ponder does not offer students any statistics, nor does he cite his sourcing in order to support these classifications.
POINT TO PONDER: AMERICANS
“there are millions of Americans today that loathe the very idea of America’s greatness”
– Gene Ponder, July 20, 2015
Principles of Government
By: Gene Ponder
“Equality: Opportunity or Outcome. [Muslim/Arab man] We will kill the American dogs and cast their government into a pit of eternal fire!! But not before I cash my welfare check!”
In this slide, Ponder appears to suggest to his students that Muslim/Arab Americans want to destroy the United States, and are using America for welfare money.
This slide is a clear example of the racist and xenophobic material that students are exposed to in Ponder’s classroom.
POINT TO PONDER: MULTICULTURALISM
“Judeo/Christian Religion and Islam are in direct conflict.”
– Gene Ponder, October 7, 2016
Comparative Economic Systems
By: Gene Ponder
“Fascism, Socialism, Communism & Death. Which dictator/totalitarian ideology – All of these dictators are physically dead today but one of them is still able to commit murder even after death. Why? Because he managed to disguise his despotism in the form of a religion. Mohammed was not only evil but also very smart. Still don’t get it?”
In this slide, Ponder implies that Mohammed (the prophet of Islam) is responsible for more deaths than 6 other dictators. Ponder’s slide states that Mohammed is “evil” and suggests that he’s “still able to commit murder even after death,” some 1,400 years ago.
Using such logic, Ponder might have compared apples to apples by describing the number of deaths at the hands of other religions or ideologies (in total) since the death of their leaders and prophets.
In any case, it is unclear how this slide relates to the subject of “Economics.” Demonizing the Islamic faith and those who follow it appears to be the sole point of this slide, and once again Ponder’s slide offers no sourcing whatsoever to support his claims.
POINT TO PONDER: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
“For the very same reasons federal and state governments discriminated against blacks during the era of segregation, white-males are discriminated against today by Affirmative Action. “
– Gene Ponder, July 20, 2015
Economic Systems
By: Gene Ponder
“National Socialism is Socialism. (Racial Preferences: Affirmative Action) [Quote by Hitler]”
In this slide, Ponder uses a quote by Hitler to compare Affirmative Action to the racial preferences displayed by the Nazi (National Socialist) party.
The implication appears to be that Affirmative Action is comparable to the national socialist agenda of Hitler’s Nazi party. This slide exhibits Ponder’s own personal perspective being delivered as a conclusion to students.
It is unclear how this slide effectively explains Affirmative Action, or how it relates to the topic of Economic Systems.
POINT TO PONDER: MULTICULTURALISM
“Multiculturalism as a cultural, economic, or legal principle is incapable of loyalty or commitment to any one particular group or cause.”
– Gene Ponder, October 7, 2016
Civil Liberties – Bill of Rights
By: Gene Ponder
“Obscenity & Culture Norms. Definition of Obscenity … sexual conduct specifically prohibited by state law… Multiculturalism, The Real Suicide Bomb.”
When explaining “Culture Norms,” Ponder shows a Muslim/Arab man with dynamite strapped to him and the word “Multi-Culturalism” across his chest, with the caption “The Real Suicide Bomb.”
The message in this slide seems to
be to draw a connection between “Obscenity” and “Culture Norms,” and depicting multiculturalism in an extremely negative light.
POINT TO PONDER: BLACKS IN AMERICA
“Blacks have become the most consistently liberal group in the Democratic Party.”
– Gene Ponder, AP Free Responses (2017)
Civil Rights: Equal Justice Under Law
By: Gene Ponder
“Mullatos & Hispanics. A Lesson in mainstream media news reporting. Both are from a black father and white mother. He’s black [Obama], He’s white [Other]. [Image of Selma Hayek]”
Ponder offers a partisan image that is meant to get students thinking in terms of “black” or “white” (literally), as he also takes a jab at the “mainstream media.”
It is concerning that an American Government teacher is teaching about race to students in this way. In fact, since Ponder does not teach a Sociology course, it is unclear why he is explaining race to students at all. Ponder seems to divide Americans by race quite often, and it appears he does not agree with the idea of multiculturalism.
POINT TO PONDER: MULTICULTURALISM
“Allegiance and Multiculturalism are incompatible.”
– Gene Ponder, October 7, 2016
Civil Rights: Equal Justice Under Law
By: Gene Ponder
“Indian Asians & Chinese Asians”
Based on Ponder’s slides, he appears to define minority women in a demeaning and sexist way.
Ponder uses photos of provocatively positioned young women to exemplify Indian Asians and Chinese Asians. It is unfortunate that Ponder did not use more suitable images in his slides.
Once again, it is difficult to understand how these images contribute to the understanding of “American Government.” Furthermore, these photos do not appear to be appropriate for a classroom setting.
POINT TO PONDER: CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
“President Johnson implemented a new legal right to discriminate. He legalized “reverse” racism.”
– Gene Ponder, July 20, 2015
Mass Media and Public Opinion
By: Gene Ponder
“Peer Groups & Attitudes. Birds of the same feather tend to flock together. If you want to be rich do you hang out with poor or rich people? 1. Drug Culture vs. Religious Culture 2. Sodomy Culture vs. Religious Culture 3. Entitlement Culture vs. Religious Culture”
In this slide, Ponder appears to suggest that students should stick to their own kind, and positions various “cultures” (as he calls them), against “religious culture.”
It is unclear what this slide has to do with American Government, and the impression left with students is certainly a divisive one.
POINT TO PONDER: RACISM
“[Reverse racism] is the law today and is upheld as law by the federal court system.”
– Gene Ponder, July 20, 2015
Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights
By: Gene Ponder
“Bills of Attainder vs. Affirmative Action.”
Ponder offers a biased definition of Affirmative Action, including that it is “punishing white males without a court trial.”
Ponder does not accurately define Affirmative Action for his students. According to Cornell Law, the legal definition of Affirmative Action is: “A set of procedures designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination between applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future.”
Ponder defines Affirmative Action as a law requiring employers to discriminate against white males, instead of defining it as a law that offers protection to minority classes that have been discriminated against in the past, such as African Americans and women.
POINT TO PONDER: WHITE MALES
“I have two white-male sons, who will suffer legalized discrimination all because of the way they were born; with a penis and white skin. When will my two sons receive their white-male privileges and their Civil Rights? Will they receive special privileges and “free” public money for admission to college for having a penis and white skin? Will they receive employment promotions in the public and private sector for having a penis and white skin?”
– Gene Ponder, July 20, 2015
Employment, Labor, Wages
By: Gene Ponder
“Set-Aside Contracts. Guaranteed government contract for a targeted minority group. Affirmative Action: White males excluded.”
Once again, Ponder defines Affirmative Action as discrimination against white males, and presents the policy in a negative light to students.
POINT TO PONDER: DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM
“Many modern differences hinge on remedying past discrimination and racism.”
– Gene Ponder, AP Free Responses (2017)
Civil Rights: Equal Justice Under Law
By: Gene Ponder
“Segregation in America. 1. Jim Crow Laws: 2. Plessy vs. Ferguson 1896: Separate-but-equal doctrine. 3. Brown vs. Board of Education 1954: 1. Reverses segration based upon race in public schools. 2. 1955: Brown Decision: integration: Unconstitutional court acts.”
Along with other slides in this presentation, Ponder seems to collectively imply a negative connotation to multiculturalism and race-mixing, adding to the perception that students “of the same feather tend to flock together.”
When explaining Brown vs. Board of Education, this slide describes “integration” as “unconstitutional court acts.”
POINT TO PONDER: ANTI-AMERICAN CITIZENS
“How many anti-American citizens and residents belong to organizations such as: La Raza, Black Panthers, NAACP, ACLU, and CAIR? Many of these groups receive federal tax privileges or subsidies, while they openly promote sectionalism, nationalized socialism, communism, global government, and jihad.”
– Gene Ponder, July 20, 2015
Voters and Voter Behavior
By: Gene Ponder
“Southpark Vote or Die. [Image of Southpark Cartoon showing black people holding up a T-shirt with the words “Vote or Die!” on it.”
The image used in this slide is from a SouthPark episode that depicts African Americans intimidating other people to vote.
This slide portrays African American voter behavior negatively. The context is elusive and it is unclear how it relates to the academic study of American Government.
POINT TO PONDER: WHITE MALES
“America continues its fifty-year war against the white male.”
– Gene Ponder, July 20, 2015
Voters and Voter Behavior
By: Gene Ponder
“Voting Challenges Past & Present at polling places 2014.” Image of African Americans standing in front of polling station telling Lady Liberty to “keep walking cracker.” [Adjacent image appears to show KKK members heading to polling stations to vote.
Voter intimidation in America is a well-documented occurrence that has historically targeted African Americans and other minorities. Astoundingly, Ponder depicts voter intimidation as happening to white people at the hands of African Americans.
The implication of this slide is that black people are preventing white people from voting.
Findings
IPJ concludes that Gene Ponder – 12th grade AP Government & Economics teacher at Spanish Fort High School in Alabama – is, and has been presenting biased course material in order to sway the thinking of students by negatively portraying Multiculturalism, Affirmative Action, Muslims, African American voters, and minorities in general. Ponder also portrays white-males as victims of race discrimination and voter intimidation throughout his teachings.
Ponder has injected his personal opinions and political views into the classroom for approximately 10-years. (See image)
Image: File properties exhibiting a 10-year history of Ponder’s slides being used in the classroom.
Although Ponder’s quotes were taken from outside of the classroom, former students at Spanish Fort High School – both conservative and liberal – confirm that he would quite often say very similar (or exactly the same) things during class.
This report shows some of Ponder’s ethnically and racially divisive teachings. However, it does not include his anti-government teachings, or his teachings on topics like political parties, gender equality and LGBT rights. IPJ will be covering these topics in future reports.
IPJ has reached out to the teacher, Gene Ponder; Spanish Fort High School Principal, Brian Williamson; Baldwin County Education Board Superintendent, Eddie Tyler; Baldwin County Education Board Spokesman, Terry Wilhite; Spanish Fort Mayor, Michael McMillan; Congressman, Bradley Byrne; and Spokesman for Congressman Byrne, Seth Morrows. None have responded.
Anyone who makes and intentionally shows these slides to students in class should never be trusted to teach social studies ever again. No wonder Alabama ranks so low nationally when it comes Education.
OMG. How is this person still employed as an educator? Very concerned!
I thought AP was all about facing the facts instead slithering around like two-faced snakes trying to stay politically correct. Why is everyone dissecting his PowerPoint when most of his facts are correct??? Affirmative action DOES discriminate the white male. I can go on and on supporting his statements. Dems are all about removing bias but really they are inserting their own political doctrine. Quit ruining this intelligent man’s life please.
Wanna know “why is everyone dissecting his powerpoint”? Ill tell ya… Because it’s got racist imagery and messages, and he’s teaching it to students in school. Thats why. I’m surprised it’s taken 10 years for all this to come out. But then again, ‘bama aint exactly known (statistically or historically) for giving a hoot about Education or racism. All talk about equality and education, but then yall ignore teachers like this who are out teaching bs racism and division for 10 years? Come on now… and yall wonder why Alabama is so ridiculously low scoring by all national academic standards. This is why. Right here. Its staring at you in the face. Its not just poor quality educators, its that folks REFUSE to even admit it (or do anything about it) when its right in front of their faces. Yall blind or summ?
im confused, so, why hasnt anyone from the school or local school board said anything about this yet?! Are they just gunna ignore it? Maybe they don’t know yet? Someone needs to tell them, i bet they’ll do something about this if they see all this!
I agree with all the slides ever one of them. nothing wrongg with tellin it like it is! islam is evil and so are the people who worship all that and so are half the other immigrant illegal fleas we let into this country! White pride!!
No job I see, Mr. Deplorable.
Cause you are the uneducated trump loves.