‘Toxic’ Steve Perry should embarrass charter supporters
Upon arriving at the OK School Choice Summit last Thursday, I was surprised to see a handful of friends who were denied entry and a larger number of Oklahoma City police guarding Oklahoma City Community College’s performing arts auditorium.
Apparently, about 20 protesters were noisy upon arrival at the summit and had been denied entry, according to a post published during the weekend by Brett Dickerson of Oklahoma City Free Press. Dickerson’s account included the following video of a subsequent encounter:
Although I had registered for the event, the ticket-takers seemed very confused about whether I should be allowed inside. While waiting, I witnessed the protesters chatting politely with the volunteers who had denied them entry.
I asked a couple of well-known choice advocates if I could walk into the auditorium with them. The police said that would be fine as long as the summit people didn’t stop me. I sat down in the auditorium next to an old friend who supports charter and voucher expansion, and we shook hands.
Although I’d mostly come to hear perspectives from charter supporters in the crowd, I found myself instead listening, horrified, as keynote speaker Steve Perry, a former charter school principal-turned-showman from Connecticut, shouted non-stop insults during his entire keynote address.
I’ve seen worse on television, but I don’t believe that I have ever heard such vicious hate speech in person.
Perry’s reputation should have preceded him
Perry has a reputation for failing to respect the regulatory rules of the road and is 'Toxic' Steve Perry should embarrass charter supporters - NonDoc: