This article was written by the staff at Idaho Education News.
Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has chosen Pete Coulson to sit on her indoctrination task force, replacing Idaho School Boards Association President-elect Jason Knopp, who left the task force June 4.
Knopp withdrew after the force’s first meeting in objection to its “lack of education professionals” and “partisan campaigning.”
Coulson has worked in school administration, social work and numerous activities involving young people, according to a McGeachin news release, which provided no additional biographical information.
A man by the same name introduced McGeachin as she announced she’d run for governor last month, according to McGeachin’s campaign website and the Idaho Press.
Someone with the same name has also appeared on conservative East Idaho pundit Bill Colley’s Fox News Radio show multiple times, talking about race.
A LinkedIn page under the name Pete Coulson lists “motivational speaker” and Idaho Department of Correction research analyst as current occupations.
“Pete’s experience and wisdom will be a welcome addition to our task force. I look forward to working with him and hearing his input on these critically important matters,” McGeachin said in the release.
McGeachin’s office did not immediately respond to EdNews’ request for confirmation of information about Coulson’s background Monday evening.
According to an EdNews public records request with McGeachin’s office, Coulson asked to be on the task force before it was formed, but was denied.
The “Task Force to Examine Indoctrination in Idaho Education” will meet next June 24, targeting alleged left-leaning curricula in Idaho’s K-12 public schools.
