As was highlighted last week, the Fairfax County Public School System (FCPS) found itself in the news when a local NAACP and PTA leader Michelle Leete was captured on video proclaiming "Let them die!" about opponents of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Bryan Graham, the Fairfax Democratic Committee chair, has been revealed to be at the protest where Leete made her remarks, Fox News reported.
Graham is identified in video footage from Asra Q. Nomani, a parent in the district, who also revealed that the event appears to have been organized by the Fairfax Democratic Committee.
What the video illustrates is the many that @FairfaxDems rallied for the protest, present when “Let them die!” was said: @BryanGrahamVA @FEA_Fairfax @JenniferBoysko @KimberlyAdams @gpalber @GSchoradt @TJAlumniAG @FairfaxNAACP cont below. Protest ad is on https://t.co/4aNesEKzbL pic.twitter.com/XE1JG3YVWY
— Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) July 18, 2021
What is troubling is that @FairfaxDems @BryanGrahamVA worked with @KarlFrischFCPS, emails reveal, to place hand-picked people on committees, including Bryan Graham himself, appointed that night for @fcpsnews citizen advisory committee. See below https://t.co/JNHv0TuEtl
— Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) July 18, 2021
Some say appointees are asked if they want to return but there is a cozy relationship btwn @KarlFrischFCPS + @FairfaxDems. Frisch is the school board rep for Providence District. Pro-FCPS protest organizer Geofre Schoradt is a @DemsProvidence Vice Chair. https://t.co/bpH8Rq6G0P pic.twitter.com/61TjlnVSbj
— Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) July 19, 2021
????@FoxNews @DormanInDC: "The Fairfax Democratic Committee appears to have organized the controversial event where Michelle Leete said 'let them die' while its chair applauded that line, according to video of the event." @FairfaxDems chair is @BryanGrahamVA https://t.co/RH08AjNhnO
— Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) July 19, 2021
In a pinned tweet thread which restricts replies, Graham takes a sentence to say "I reject 'let them die," but also pushes back against coverage that Leete's words encouraged violence. Another tweet claims "they just want outrage."
Most of what was said about the rally and me is a complete lie and they know it. What I say will not make a difference to them. The truth does not matter to these people - they just want outrage.
— Bryan Graham (@BryanGrahamVA) July 20, 2021
Graham and the organization are also acknowledged over Twitter by Geof Schoradt.
Big thanks to @FairfaxDems @BryanGrahamVA @JackKiraly and @DemsProvidence for their logistical support as always. I’d thank the rest of the education committee……but they’re not on twitter (and they’re better off, honestly). ??
— Geof Schoradt (@GSchoradt) July 16, 2021
I support Michelle Leete. That is all. ?
— Geof Schoradt (@GSchoradt) July 20, 2021
In May, a parent in the district alerted Townhall that Schoradt, a school teacher there, was engaging with parents over social media to do with criticisms facing School Board Member-at-Large Abrar Omeish, who, in an Eid Mubarak post, mentioned "Apartheid & colonization" in addition to writing "Israel kills Palestinians & desecrates the Holy Land right now" from her public Facebook page.
As Graham did in the tweet above, Schoradt has drawn a contrast to former President Donald Trump.
The same people trying to tone police a black woman for her speech enthusiastically supported Donald Trump, and his literal calls for violence, for four years. ??
— Geof Schoradt (@GSchoradt) July 19, 2021
Last Thursday, Leete yelled "Let them die!" to much applause from the crowd, regarding opponents of CRT, whom she also referred to as "anti-education, anti-teacher, anti-equity, anti-history, anti-racial reckoning, anti-opportunity, anti-help people, anti-diversity, anti-platform, anti-science, anti-change agent, anti-social justice, anti-health care, anti-worker, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-children, anti-environment, anti-admissions policy change, anti-inclusion, anti-live and let live people."
The Fairfax NAACP, which Leete is the vice president of, has stood by Leete. She was also the Vice President of Training for Virginia PTA and the Vice President of Communications for Fairfax PTA, but was asked to resign from both positions, which she did.