Did Rep. Virginia Foxx really punch down on a 10-year-old? Oh yes, she did. | Opinion

I have been an English teacher for over 30 years. In my classroom, I show my students that language is a tool—one that, when used effectively, can actually make change happen. I want them to understand that the words they choose have the power to bridge gaps, express complex ideas, and help them engage with the world on their own terms. When a student decides to use that tool to participate in the democratic process, they are putting those lessons into practice in the most meaningful way possible.

Apparently, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina missed that lesson, or perhaps she has simply forgotten it in the years since she left the classroom herself.

Recently, a student named Christian reached out to Rep. Foxx as part of a school assignment. He used his voice to suggest a $5,000 tax rebate for electric vehicles. It was a straightforward exercise in civic communication, the kind of project meant to show a child that if they learn to articulate their thoughts clearly, their leaders will take them seriously.

But instead of a professional exchange, Christian received a masterclass in congressional condescension.

In a signed letter dated May 1, 2026, Foxx did not just explain her fiscal opposition to the rebate. She took a sharp, unprovoked turn into attacking the child’s school and his future. After lecturing a fifth grader on the national debt and telling him that he and his classmates would be responsible for “economic failure and bankruptcy,” she turned her sights on his teachers.

“Incidentally,” Foxx wrote, “please ask your teacher to explain propaganda to you”. She went on to tell the child that her “guess” was that his teachers would not give him a good educational experience because they are “too interested in indoctrinating” him.

Representative Foxx’s letter was shared on Instagram by Christian’s mother.

Think about that for a second. A sitting Congresswoman, the Chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, used a formal response to a child to smear the very professionals she is tasked with supporting. Foxx often leans on her history as a former teacher to bolster her credentials. But no educator worth their salt would ever use a child as a proxy to attack their colleagues. It is the height of unprofessionalism to tell a 10-year-old that the person they look up to every morning in the classroom is failing them.

The irony here is thick. Foxx accuses teachers of “indoctrination” while using an official, taxpayer-funded response to push a hyper-partisan narrative to a minor, complete with a list of links to articles she expects him to read. If Foxx wants to talk about propaganda, perhaps she should start with a look in the mirror at a member of Congress who views a child’s curiosity as a threat and a teacher’s guidance as a conspiracy.

In my room, I work tirelessly to create a safe space for students to explore ideas. I do not tell them what to think. I teach them how to think. When a child takes the initiative to participate in the political process, they deserve a response that respects that effort, even if the recipient of their ideas disagrees with their conclusion.

Rep. Foxx, you were once a teacher. You should know that words have power, especially when they come from a person in a position of authority. You crossed a line when you attacked a 10-year-old and his teachers to score cheap political points. North Carolina’s students deserve better, our colleagues deserve better, and the chair of an actual education committee should be the first person to understand that.

It is time to stop the rhetoric and start remembering that our first duty is to protect and encourage the children in our care. When a leader uses their platform to punch down on a child, they aren’t just attacking a school—they are attacking a young person’s right to curiosity and civic growth. If you are looking for propaganda, Representative, look no further than the letter you sent to Christian.

Justin Parmenter, a regular contributer to the opinion pages, is a seventh-grade language arts teacher at Waddell Language Academy in Charlotte.

This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Did Rep. Virginia Foxx really punch down on a 10-year-old? Oh yes, she did. | Opinion."