Fauci had plenty to say when our children were locked out of school
by Erika Sanzi · The Washington TimesOPINION:
Dr. Anthony Fauci certainly had a lot to say when America’s children were locked out of their classrooms, but now, when he is the one being asked the questions, he has nothing to say.
That is quite a reversal for the man who spent years insisting he had “nothing to do” with closing America’s schools — only for his own reported private diary to reveal that he had “convinced” then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to close the city’s schools and that California officials made similar decisions based on his public messaging.
Americans deserve to know which version is true.
Back when schools were closed and toddlers were masked, Dr. Fauci had advice for governors. He had guidance for mayors. He had recommendations for school districts. He chatted the night away at Jake Tapper’s house and forged a cozy friendship with teachers union President Randi Weingarten.
Every press conference brought another pronouncement.
Every television appearance brought another directive.
He even declared, “I represent the science,” suggesting that anyone questioning him was really questioning science itself.
Now, six years later, when Congress wants answers about those decisions, Dr. Anthony Fauci has clammed up, pleading the Fifth and refusing to answer a single question.
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No one disputes his constitutional right to invoke the Fifth Amendment, but constitutional rights do not erase moral responsibility. During the pandemic crisis, the public paid his salary — the highest of any federal employee at the time, including the president’s. After years of telling Americans to trust his judgment while dismissing and censoring those who disagreed with him, Dr. Fauci owes the public — and especially the children who bore the greatest burden — an honest accounting.
The greatest casualty of America’s pandemic response was not politics.
It was childhood.
In some communities, children spent nearly a year and a half out of their classrooms. Even after schools reopened, many remained masked through much of the school year. Students were repeatedly told to stay home if they had been in “close contact” with anyone who tested positive for the virus, often without any schoolwork or instruction provided. The demands this placed on families were untenable and, as it turns out, often unnecessary.
The children did not get a do-over.
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They got historic learning loss.
Chronic absenteeism exploded and remains stubbornly high years later. Anxiety and depression surged. The students who were struggling most before the pandemic fell even further behind.
None of this rests on Dr. Anthony Fauci’s shoulders alone. Governors, school boards, public health officials and teachers unions all deserve scrutiny for decisions that too often ignored the educational and emotional needs of children.
No one became the public face of those policies more than Dr. Fauci.
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He became a household name. A media celebrity. A bestselling author.
The children became a generation defined by learning loss, loneliness, anxiety and opportunities they will never get back.
Reasonable people can disagree about decisions made during the frightening early months of a once-in-a-century pandemic.
What should not be controversial is truth-telling and accountability.
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The man who spent years telling America what to do should be willing to answer questions about the consequences.
He found his voice when children needed classrooms most.
He found his confidence when parents begged for answers, declaring, “I represent the science.”
He had plenty of time for television interviews, magazine profiles and commencement speeches, all while documenting those decisions in a diary on his government-issued computer.
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Now, however, he refuses to speak.
America’s children had one chance to be 8 years old. One chance to start kindergarten. One chance to learn to read with a teacher sitting beside them instead of a laptop screen. One chance to attend senior prom.
Those years are gone forever.
The children who lost so much deserved better than that.
At the very least, they deserve answers now.
• Erika Sanzi is senior director of communications for Defending Education.