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A New Jersey public school forced students to keep an image of Dem Rep. Analilia Mejia on their school-issued computers to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month two months before election day, an angry parent has alleged.
The screen background was reportedly set for all students in the Glen Ridge Public School system, and a parent said that their child’s Spanish teacher threatened to student the student to the principal if they changed it.
“I was outraged,” the parent, who wished to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation, told The Post. “We’re in the school system because we’re the number one public school system in the state. We’re here for the education. I’m not here for political propaganda.”
“Marketing to a 13-year-old and a nine-year-old is disgusting.”
Mejia was a local labor leader and nonprofit director before she was chosen as Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s hand-picked successor to fill the US House seat Sherrill previously held earlier this year.
The wallpaper image featured biographical information about Mejia’s career, including legislation she introduced to raise the minimum wage to $25 an hour — which went nowhere.
Even if the kids wanted to, it appeared they were unable to change the desktop background on the district-provided Chromebooks, according to the parent.
Mejia’s (D-NJ) image began showing up on the kids’ laptops on Tuesday, then changed to an image of “Guardians of the Galaxy” actress Zoe Saldana on Wednesday.
“I’m sure it’s because the parents went nuts,” the parent added about the wallpaper changing.
The congresswoman represents New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, which encompasses multiple suburbs around Newark, including Maplewood, Montclair and Belleville.
It is about 17.5% Hispanic, according to census data.
Mejia is the favorite to win her race against Republican Joe Hathaway on Nov. 3, according to the Cook Political Report election handicapper, which rates the district as a “solid” Democratic seat.
“While neither my team nor I were involved in the decision, I’m honored to be among the Latino leaders recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month,” Mejia told The Post about her image being made the wallpaper on the Chromebooks.
“Latinos are integral to New Jersey’s culture, history, and strength, and I commend the school district for striving to represent the full diversity of our community to its diverse student body,” she added. “Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!”
News of the Glen Ridge Chromebooks being splashed with Mejia’s image was first exposed by the Libs of TikTok X account.
The Post contacted the Glen Ridge Public School system for comment.
“This photo looks like something ripped out of North Korean propaganda, with Mejia standing watch as some kind of ‘Dear Leader.’ It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Mejia’s opponent Hathaway told The Post in response.
“Imagine the outrage you’d hear from teachers and left-wing progressives if every student in Glen Ridge opened their school computer and saw a locked image of our President staring back at them,” he added. “Socialist messaging has no place being forced on our kids.”
“We need to get back to basics of reading, writing, math, and science, for our children to succeed.”
The parent raised a similar concern and questioned why the district doesn’t splash an image of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the highest-ranking Hispanic American in US history, on their desktops.
“They clearly understood that this was not the right thing to do,” he added.
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