Betsy DeVos Insults Parkland Student Survivors by Visiting Their School, Refusing to Talk With Them About Arming Teachers

One Student Survivor Says DeVos Did Not Meet With Any Students

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos traveled to Parkland, Florida and visited the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the scene of the horrific Valentine’s Day mass shooting that left 17 people, mostly students, dead.

According to one student survivor, who goes by the name carly, DeVos refused to meet with or talk with students.

She did say that students from the school’s press outlets saw DeVos and took photos of her, but did not speak with her. 

DeVos, who barred any outside media from joining her visit, held a very short press event afterwards, at about 10:30 AM, so she was not at the school for long. She was asked if she made the students any promises. “I told the student newspaper reporters that I would love to come back some time…and just sit down and talk with them” DeVos replied, suggesting that she had not talked with them today.

During that press event, DeVos also told reporters she did not talk with students about guns, or about arming teachers. She instead said she just went there “to be with” the students. It’s unclear if she in fact did visit with or talk with any students.

DeVos’ press event lasted eight minutes. She didn’t thank reporters or end the press conference in any way except by walking away from the podium as reporters asked her another question about arming teachers.

Here’s the full 8-minute press conference. It’s worth watching to see, if it’s true she did not meet with any students, how she covers it up. It’s hard to believe no student asked her about guns, gun policy, or arming teachers.