Celebrity Backs York Teacher Under Fire

ELMHURST, IL — A celebrity has added his voice in support of a York High School teacher who has been criticized by a parent and online commenters, who say her lessons have a liberal bias.

A week ago, comedian John Leguizamo commented on an Instagram post by the Zinn Education Program in defense of York social studies teacher Lindsey DiTomasso.

"I support her big time! Love howard zinn," wrote Leguizamo, who has acted in a number of movies.

Zinn, who died in 2010, wrote "A People's History of the United States." To a biographer, Zinn once referred to himself as "something of a Marxist."

DiTomasso teaches lessons from the Zinn curriculum. Supporters say it presents viewpoints from overlooked people in American history, particularly minorities. Its opponents counter that the project's liberal bias ignores the virtues of the American experience.

Elmhurst parent Tom Chavez contends DiTomasso's curriculum is part of a greater Marxist indoctrination at the school. Online critics have brought similar charges. They say DiTomasso should provide both sides of history.

Chavez and others have not provided any evidence that DiTomasso or other teachers are promoting Marxism, which is the theory that provides the basis for communism.

In the last couple of weeks, the Zinn Education Project has posted Patch's story about the criticism of DiTomasso to its Facebook and Instagram page. Its Facebook post has been shared nearly 200 times. Many people, including former students, have praised DiTomasso's work in response.

In its posts, the project wrote, "Here we go again with demands for 'both sides' of history. (Last week, it was the demand in Texas for lessons on 'two sides' of the Holocaust.) A teacher in Elmhurst, Illinois, is being bullied and harassed for using lessons from the Zinn Education Project."

The project urged people to show support for DiTomasso in their online comments.

"It could help as she weathers this attempt to censor history lessons," the project said.

Neither the school district nor the teachers union has come out in defense of DiTomasso. Patch sought comment from the union last week, but it did not respond.

DiTomasso has not returned messages for comment.