EXPOSED: The Anti-Government, Government teacher [PowerPoint Slides]

By Michael Justice    July 23, 2017 @ 7:02 p.m. CST

When Gene Ponder – 12^th grade AP Government teacher at Spanish Fort High School in Alabama – created a biased reading assignment for students, he caught flack for it. A source very close to Ponder reported to Independent Press Journal (IPJ) that Ponder had created his conservatively biased assignment in order to balance out the “communist socialist agenda” being taught at his school.

Students also report that Ponder is biased in the classroom, making his political ideologies obvious and even belittling the perspectives of those who offer a different viewpoint than his own.

IPJ has obtained PowerPoint presentations that Ponder has shown to students during his classes and has provided to
students for home study.

This report exhibits some of Ponder’s anti-government teachings, and does not include his teachings regarding more controversial subjects such as political parties, gender equality and race discrimination. IPJ will be covering these topics in future reports.

First, let’s look into Ponder’s anti-government teachings. Each PowerPoint slide is accompanied by it’s file history and a brief description. The slides are separated by quotes from none other than Gene Ponder himself.

File name: gov-t-1.ppt
Slide number: 46
Created on: August 10, 2008
Last modified: May 15, 2017
Created by: Gene Ponder

“Stupid People Vote! Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. DEMOCRACY is nothing more than mob rule.”

Regardless of your political position – as an American – this slide sends the wrong message about voting and democracy to American children. It would be one thing for this message to be delivered to students in North Korea, but coming from an American “Government” teacher, it is inexcusable.

File name: gov-t-1.ppt
Slide number: 11
Created on: August 10, 2008
Last modified: May 15, 2017
Created by: Gene Ponder

“Concepts of Democracy vs The Individual. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”

In this slide, Ponder seems to cast American democracy in a negative light by positioning individual freedom against democracy.

File name: gov-t-8.ppt
Slide number: 11
Created on: August 20, 2007
Last modified: May 18, 2017
Created by: Gene Ponder

The image in this slide depicts Children of the Corn, a horror film about children who are murderers. Ponder uses the title, “Children of the Common Core, coming to your family unit in 2014”. Under the slide, it says, “Schools shaping attitudes, Pledge of Allegiance, Saluting the Flag, All Students Succeed Act, Character Education, Drug Education, Common Core, Etc…”

Ponder does not explain or define any policies in these slides. Instead, he seems to vilify education policies and imply that those that follow it are brainwashed, even demonizing the acts of pledging allegiance and saluting the flag.

File name: gov-t-18-1.ppt
Slide number: 32
Created on: March 16, 2008
Last modified: May 19, 2017
Created by: Gene Ponder

“FISA & NSA. The Liberty vs Security Debate.” We the Peepers [NSA] outweighs We The People [Constitution].

When contrasting “Liberty vs Security” Ponder offers students the conclusion that the NSA is more powerful than the US Constitution.

File name: gov-t-3.ppt
Slide number: 21
Created on: August 13, 2008
Last modified: May 15, 2017
Created by: Gene Ponder

“Public Revenue Act 1942. [IRS] Try to be a little more prompt with your return next year, sir – we almost ran out of welfare money.”

Instead of simply offering an explanation of the Revenue Act of 1942 to his students, Ponder applies a negative connotation to the tax legislation.

File name: gov-t-19.ppt
Slide number: 13
Created on: August 20, 2007
Last modified: May 18, 2017
Created by: Gene Ponder

“1787 – 1962 Prayer in school? [Columbine High School, Crime Scene] Why didn’t God stop the shooting? How could he? He’s not allowed in school anymore.”

In this slide Ponder implies that prayer in school would prevent school shootings.

Ponder’s message contradicts the separation of church and state, including the Alabama Education Association’s policies regarding religion at school.

File name: gov-t-8.ppt
Slide number: 16
Created on: August 20, 2007
Last modified: May 18, 2017
Created by: Gene Ponder

“Opinion Leaders & Attitudes. Teacher, I’m being bullied. Me Too! Dept. of Ed, Politicians, School Board, Administrators, Reformers, Taxpayers.”

In this slide, Ponder depicts the teacher as a victim at the hands of school board administrators (and others), and implies that a teacher may not be able to help a student in a bullying situation because teachers are being bullied themselves.

This message to students portrays school board administrators negatively, and could discourage students from reporting bullying if they perceive nothing can be done about it.

IPJ concludes that Gene Ponder – 12th grade AP Government & Economics teacher at Spanish Fort High School in Alabama – is, and has been presenting biased course material in order to sway students thinking by negatively portraying democracy, voting, the pledge of allegiance, the IRS, the U.S. Department of Education, the school board, administrators, and taxpayers.

Ponder has injected his personal opinions and political views into the classroom, turning his beliefs into “lessons” for his students for approximately 10-years. (See image)

Although Ponder’s quotes were taken from outside of the classroom, former students at Spanish Fort High School – both conservative and liberal – confirm that he would quite often say similar or exactly the same things during class.

This report shows some of Ponder’s anti-government teachings. However, it does not include his teachings on topics like political parties, gender equality and race discrimination. IPJ will be covering these topics in future reports.

IPJ has reached out to the teacher, Gene Ponder; Spanish Fort High School Principal, Brian Williamson; Baldwin County Education Board Superintendent, Eddie Tyler; Baldwin County Education Board Spokesman, Terry Wilhite; Spanish Fort Mayor, Michael McMillan; Congressman, Bradley Byrne; and Spokesman for Congressman Byrne, Seth Morrows. None have responded.

Read more on this topic:

RACISM EXPOSED: “Where are my white-male federal privileges?” asks Alabama teacher [PowerPoint Slides]

A teacher’s biased assignment, from ‘printed’ to ‘retracted’ in less than 6 hours.

Teacher created bias right-wing assignment to balance out “communist socialist agenda” at his school

Michael Justice is an independent contributor to IPJ who focuses on stories related to education and civil rights. He has a B.S. in Technical Management and a M.S. in Banking & Finance from Boston University. When Michael is not working on a story for IPJ, he works as a legal investigator specializing in fraud and consumer protection cases.
Email: michael.justice@independentpressjournal.com