A poster depicting a white supremacy pyramid which appeared on the wall of a charter school has parents and students upset.

The white supremacy pyramid appeared on the wall in the classroom of Franca Gilbert, a French teacher at the Franklin Academy High school since 2007.

According to Gilbert’s LinkedIn profile, she is the World Languages Department chair.

The LinkedIn profile also says she develops and designs curricula for “French at all levels and for all abilities.”

Franklin Academy is a tuition free public charter school in the state of North Carolina, located in the Wake Forest area. Franklin Academy was the first in a set of charter schools created by libertarian minded Bob Luddy.  He would later expand, creating Thales Academies.

The school’s website describes the school as “a non-profit private organization overseen by a local board of directors and is not affiliated with any other charter school or management organization. The Franklin Academy is authorized to operate under the Department of Public Instruction Office of Charter Schools.”

According to the Franklin Academy site, it was founded in 1998  and that the school regularly has more than 1800 applicants on a waiting list each year. The website also says it is, “the most sought after school in North Carolina, and perhaps the nation.”

Related Read: Durham Teachers Reenact Toppling of Confederate Statue

The white supremacy pyramid includes categories noted as Overt White Supremacy and Covert White Supremacy.  Topics such as white savior complex, denial of white privilege and “make America great again” are included in the pyramid.

The origin of the pyramid traces back to a Colorado based group called the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence. This pyramid was part of the group’s, “Building a Multi-Ethnic, Inclusive & Anti-racist Organization: Tools for Liberation Packet for Anti-Racist Activists, Allies, & Critical Thinkers” which first was produced in 2005.

Digging further, the original pyramid seems to gave been adapted by a woman named Ellen Tuzzolo sometime in 2016.  Tuzzolo was last known to work as a Program Director at a non-profit called the Discovery Center, which is now closed.

It remains unclear where Franca Gilbert obtained a copy of the white supremacy pyramid poster.

White Supremacy Pyramid, Hostile Environment & Hypocrisy

Parents of students at the school tell American Lens that the white supremacy pyramid was displayed in the classroom for at least a week.

Students and parents also tell American Lens that Gilbert often makes derogatory remarks about President Trump and says ‘what a horrible person and president’ he is.

One family tells American Lens that Gilbert has recently been wearing a t-shirt to class that reads, “Immigrants are what make America great.”

Students allegedly questioned how it was fair Gilbert had a white supremacy pyramid poster on her wall when she had threatened to send anyone to the principal’s office who uttered the words, “Make America great again.”

Students and their parents complained to the administration about the openly hostile and politically charged environment Gilbert had created in her classroom. Once complaints started to roll in to the administration, allegedly the school put Franca Gilbert on a one day suspension.

Since the incident, parents tell American Lens that a notice was sent out to all staff from the administration. That notice reminded teachers that promoting personal political commentary and opinions in the classroom was not permitted.

One student reported that teachers in multiple classes addressed the students about the Gilbert incident by saying that ‘they were no longer able to talk freely’ and added that this was ‘thanks to the students who complained’.

One parent, who did not wish to be named citing fears of retaliation by school staff, said that, “This is not education. This is indoctrination through bullying. This is not what Bob Luddy’s vision of education is about.”

The parent added that they are actively looking for a new school due to this “mind-boggling piece of social justice crap” that was forced onto their child and the subsequent alleged ostracizing of students who had spoken up about it.

No Comment on White Supremacy Pyramid

American Lens reached out to the administration at Franklin Academy, but our request for comment was denied.

“Per our policy, we are unable to comment on personnel matters at our school. Our administration is appropriately addressing any issues that may arise,” wrote James Kornegay, Site Administrator Grades 9-12.

American Lens resent a request for information in the form of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Franklin Academy is a public charter school and is required by law to respond.

We asked for confirmation of Gilbert’s employment, that she teaches French, any email exchanges regarding the alleged white supremacy pyramid incident and for a copy of Gilbert’s course syllabus.

As of the publishing of this article, none of the officials at Franklin Academy had responded to this FOIA request.

White Supremacy Pyramid Is Not Lone Incident

According another report, the white supremacy pyramid is not a lone incident. Apparently, students taking Honors Earth Science were at one time given a questionable reading assignment:  The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight by Thom Hartmann.

Hartmann’s book was allegedly inspired by actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie on global warming called “Before the Flood.”   The movie was not as well received as hoped, as it mainly was filled with hype, inaccuracies and half-truths.

A Google search of the author showed that Hartmann is neither a scientist nor a historian. Instead, he is a former psychotherapist and a self-described Progressive activist.

Hartmann has admitted to being a member of the Students for a Democratic Society, a radical organization established in the 1960’s which was at one time headed up by Weather Underground domestic terrorist, Bernadine Dohrn.

In addition, Hartmann is a 9/11 truther. He signed an October 26 2004 statement circulated by the website 911Truth.org that demanded the U.S. government to investigate 9/11 as an “inside job.”

Hartmann is also a commentator employed by Russia Today (RT), a state-sponsored media wing of the Russian government.

A quick scan through YouTube provide a Russia Today clip of Thom Hartmann denouncing America and capitalism while simultaneously defending and promoting communism as “misunderstood.”

Hartmann also led an RT propaganda special in 2012 demonizing conservatives and republicans called “Take Back the American Dream.”

The special event was produced with help and backing from major liberal groups such as the Campaign for America’s Future, , MoveOn.org.  All of these groups are heavily financed by George Soros.

This article first appeared at American Lens News on September 9, 2017.