JD Vance Criticizes Childless Teachers, Sparks Controversy Over Education Views

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance recently faced criticism over comments he made about childless teachers in a 2021 audio recording. Vance, while speaking at a Christian conservative event during his Ohio U.S. Senate campaign, accused teachers without biological children of attempting to "brainwash" students.

“I hate to be so personal, but they’re people without kids, trying to brainwash the minds of our children,” Vance said.

Vance specifically targeted Randi Weingarten, the head of a major teachers' union. "She doesn’t have a single child. If she wants to brainwash and destroy the minds of children, she should have some of her own and leave ours alone," he stated. Weingarten, who is a lesbian, describes herself as the stepmother to her partner’s child.

The 30-second clip, shared on social media by a Chicago-based progressive radio station, adds to the debate surrounding Vance's critical views on those without biological children. He has previously referred to childless women as "childless cat ladies" and suggested that parents of young children should have extra voting rights. Additionally, Vance proposed that people without children should pay higher taxes, a stance that contrasts with his decision to skip a Senate vote on expanding the child tax credit.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, responded by calling Vance's comments "gross." She pointed out that many Catholic school teachers are nuns who are not allowed to have children due to religious beliefs. “JD Vance’s comments are sad and insulting to millions of modern families, and school teachers, including Catholic nuns, none of whom should be targeted for their family decisions,” Weingarten tweeted.

JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has yet to clarify how a teacher's parental status relates to their professional role. His spokesperson, Taylor Van Kirk, described his remarks as part of a broader critique of liberal education policies, stating, “There is no bigger threat to American children than the left-wing indoctrination being peddled in our schools,” in a statement to news.