Bob Cassilly's nominees for Harford County Board of Education called 'extremist' by community leaders

Feb. 7—Harford County community leaders have raised concerns over Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly's appointments to the Harford County Board of Education, calling them "extremists."

Cassilly announced the appointments of Aaron Poynton, Theresa Kocher and Lauren Strauss to serve two-year terms, ending in 2025, in a news release Friday.

"I am pleased to appoint three highly qualified individuals who will focus on delivering a world-class education to Harford County children," Cassilly said in the release. "I look forward to the County Council's confirmation of my appointments of these outstanding citizens."

These three new members will serve alongside six elected board members and replace three appointed by former Gov. Larry Hogan.

Poynton, a Joppatowne resident and parent of three Harford County Public Schools children, is an Army Special Operations veteran with four degrees, including a doctorate in public administration from the University of Baltimore, according to the county news release.

Kocher has multiple degrees including a master's degree in systems management from the University of Florida, and also is a retired Army civilian analyst and a grandmother to Harford County Public Schools students. Strauss has two children at Havre de Grace High School, two bachelor's degrees from James Madison University and is a Harford County court-appointed special advocate.

In an email newsletter sent out Saturday, the Harford County Democratic Central Committee called for the community to oppose Cassilly's "extremist" nominees.

In a strongly worded response, Henry Gibbons, chair of the Harford County Democratic Central Committee, referred to the new board members as a "radical slate."

"Cassilly has now shown where his true allegiance lies — with the radical fringe of his party," Gibbons said.

Gibbons outlined specific ties that two of the three nominees have to controversial national groups, including Poynton's alleged involvement with the Council for National Policy, a group of conservative and Republican activists, and with an organization headed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A link in the newsletter led to an article Poynton posted on a blog last year, where Poynton's bio states that he "previously served on Ron DeSantis' national leadership team and finance committee, and was the chairman of the veterans' coalition."

"Mr. Poynter's affiliations paint him as a hyperpartisan, right-wing ideologue who is unfit to steward the institution with which we entrust our children's education," Gibbons said in the newsletter.

Gibbons wrote that the nominations "are likely to promote a backward-looking agenda that undermines our public schools, disparages our teachers, further marginalizes vulnerable members of our communities, and fails Harford County students."

"They're increasingly pushing what I would consider to be a regressive agenda," Gibbons said. "And that's not something that we feel is right for Harford County."

Gibbons urged residents to "demand that [Cassilly] return to his rich pool of applicants in search of less polarizing individuals."

The Harford County NAACP sent a letter to the Harford County Council expressing concerns over the candidates' philosophies. The council has not yet scheduled a vote on the Cassilly's nominees.

"We're concerned that these nominations don't represent the community or its values," said Vicki Jones, president of the Harford NAACP.

The letter, also posted on the Harford NAACP's Facebook page, read: "Despite their professional accomplishments, there are MANY reasons why these three individuals are NOT the right nominees for the Board of Education."

"We want people in this role that will support our children and not shame them," Jones said.

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The Morning Sun

The NAACP letter details concerns over the three nominees, including Poynton's affiliation with the Council for National Policy, Strauss' affiliation with the parental rights group Moms for Liberty, and Kocher's history of sharing anti-mask and anti-vaccine sentiments on social media during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jones also expressed concerns over what these nominations could mean for the remainder of Cassilly's term as county executive.

"It actually scares me if he believes that this is what's best for our children, and for the county," she said, "knowing that these ideas and views are so extreme of many of these groups and of these individuals."

Sam Kahl, a public information officer for Cassilly, declined The Aegis' request to speak to Poynton, Kocher and Strauss directly.