Homeschooling, ‘indoctrination,’ Jan. 6: A look at NC’s new GOP superintendent candidate
An election denier who home-schools her children and who has accused public schools of indoctrinating students is now the Republican nominee to oversee North Carolina’s public education system.
Conservative activist Michele Morrow upset incumbent Catherine Truitt in Tuesday’s Republican primary for state superintendent of public instruction. Morrow cast Truitt as being too liberal to a GOP base that also gave primary wins to Donald Trump for president and Mark Robinson for governor.
On Wednesday, Morrow was basking in her victory before she takes on Democrat Mo Green in the general election.
“I’m deeply honored and humbled because this is not really a Michele win,” Morrow said in an interview Wednesday with The News & Observer. “This is a win for all of North Carolina. I didn’t do this on my own. The people of North Carolina have spoken.”
Morrow’s history of controversial statements is likely to make the state superintendent contest one of the most watched down-ballot races on the ballot. Here’s more about the new GOP nominee.
Where do Morrow’s children go to school?
Morrow, a registered nurse and former missionary, has been home-schooling her children for 16 years. Her children used to attend public schools when they lived in Texas and Colorado. They haven’t attended public schools in North Carolina.
Morrow has said that being a home-school parent shouldn’t disqualify her in the minds of voters because she cares about providing a good education to public school students. Her campaign pledge has been to “Make Academics Great Again.”
Calling public schools ‘indoctrination centers’
Both before and during her campaign, Morrow has accused the public school system of indoctrinating students.
“We should be MOST concerned about losing the next generation of citizens to our Public School socialist indoctrination centers!!” Morrow posted in 2020 on X, previously called Twitter.
In other social media posts, Morrow has made statements such as “The MSM and Public School System are powerful leftist indoctrination centers” and “the U.S. Public School system is a tax-payer funded socialism indoctrination machine.”
More recently during her campaign, Morrow has said that she’ll work “to eliminate progressive indoctrination in schools.” She’s also accused public schools of “teaching children to hate our country” and training students in “transgender theory.”
Morrow says she will try to remove Critical Race Theory and Diversity and Inclusion practices and to “make sound basic moral instruction priority number one.” Morrow also promises that “you better believe that our teachers will be well versed in the true history of our great nation.”
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns in schools?
During her unsuccessful 2022 campaign for the Wake County school board, Morrow said teachers should be allowed to exercise their Second Amendment right to conceal-carry a firearm. But Morrow added that she doesn’t think teachers should be responsible for providing safety for their students.
“What I’m saying, as a Constitutional Second Amendment right, every person should have the ability to protect themselves,” Morrow said during a school board candidate forum. “There’s no reason, as I said, for a child to ever know that the teacher ever had a gun in the locked bottom drawer of their desk.”
In January, Morrow posted on X, “when it comes to securing NC schools, all options should be on the table for consideration.” Morrow was responding to an article about how more teachers across America are training in firearm safety, marksmanship and crisis response in case of potential school shooting situations.
A change in North Carolina law would be required to allow teachers to carry firearms on campus.
Apologizing for anti-Islamic statements
Morrow, who describes herself as a “lifelong Christian conservative,” has made a number of social media posts that have been critical of Islam and Muslims.
In 2020, Morrow said on X that the goal of Islam is “evil” and that ”it’s a “political cult.” She also posted comments such as “ban Islam” and “ban Muslims from elected offices.”
Morrow apologized for her anti-Islamic comments during her 2022 school board campaign. She said that she was only talking about supporters of radical Islam.
A Jan. 6 protester
Morrow was among the Trump supporters who answered his call to march on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to protest the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
“We are here to stop the steal,” Morrow said during a video that she posted online while attending the protest. “We are here to ensure that President Trump gets four more years.”
Morrow said she left the area when ordered by the authorities, unlike other protesters who stormed the Capitol Building.
“I broke no laws,” Morrow said in an interview with The N&O in 2022. “I damaged no property. I did not enter the Capitol Building.”
But Morrow stands by the belief that Trump won the 2020 election. At a March 2021 rally outside the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, Morrow told the crowd that “they have just stolen an election” and used the term “Resident Biden” because she said “he’s not even in office.”
Will the GOP rally behind Morrow?
During the primary, most of the big Republican donors and GOP elected leaders, like U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx and state Senate leader Phil Berger, backed Truitt.
Morrow said she has been a peacemaker and a mediator and that she hopes fellow Republicans will rally around her in the general election.
“I hope everybody has the best interests of children at heart,” Morrow said Wednesday. “This shouldn’t be about a personality campaign or about protecting your own.
“This position of superintendent is about being a civil servant. It’s about being a representative of the people.”
Morrow vs. Green
Morrow said she’s looking forward to running against Green, the former superintendent of Guilford County schools He retired in 2023 as executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, which is a financial backer of progressive groups.
“I’m hoping we can have sound, logical debates,” Morrow said. “Everyone wants what’s best for children. But what we’ve been trying to do for the last 20 years has not been succeeding.”
Green said in a statement Wednesday that he would campaign on issues such as “fully funding public education.”
“Regardless of my opponent, my focus is on continuing to be a champion of public education, its employees, families and, most importantly, its students,” Green said. “I intend to continue to share a vision for the North Carolina public school system — that it be the best public school system in the country — and that we can achieve that vision.”
Candidate questionnaires
The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer asked candidates running in contested races in the primary election to fill out a candidate questionnaire. Here are the responses from Mo Green and Michele Morrow, who won their respective primaries for state superintendent. Find responses from other candidates by visiting newsobserver.com/voter-guide.
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Homeschooling, ‘indoctrination,’ Jan. 6: A look at NC’s new GOP superintendent candidate."
