Critics livid after Las Vegas-area school district hires controversial company to push liberal agenda

A public school district in Nevada paid $800,000 to a company that’s been criticized over student privacy concerns, a liberal agenda and questionable government ties. 

According to documents obtained by Parents Defending Education (PDE), the Clark County School District in Las Vegas hired Panorama Education to conduct surveys for students in the district for the 2021-2022 school year for nearly $800,000. 

The surveys were reportedly administered to around 300,000 students and 40,000 teachers.  

This follows growing concern among parents nationwide about the use of invasive surveys, including those administered by Panorama Education, that raise questions of where the data is stored, who has access to it, how it’s being used and the age-appropriateness of the questions.  

PDE has compiled examples of surveys used in at least 37 states and Washington, D.C. The surveys include questions about children’s sexual orientation and experiences, attitudes on drug use, and suicide attempts. 

In one such case in New Jersey, parents in the Cedar Grove School District filed complaints with the Department of Education after such surveys were given to students as young as 9 without parental consent. The parents were forced to take legal action when they were blocked from raising their concerns at school board meetings.   

“When parents ask who owns the data and how it is stored and shared, they consistently run into a brick wall,” PDE Director of Outreach Erika Sanzi told Fox News Digital. 

“The data on students that they mine, store and share with God knows who doesn’t only lead to division among students and staff, but it invariably drives academic outcomes into the ground,” Sanzi said. “It’s a very predictable and sad pattern playing out all over the country.” 

Panorama boasts that it serves one out of every four students in America. 

Clark County Schools is also coming under scrutiny for a three-year contract worth $75,000 with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to implement “anti-bias” training. 

The district will implement ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program, which aims to “promote critical thinking and learning around current events topics through the lens of diversity, bias and social justice.” 

The program also promotes teaching LGBTQ issues in the classroom, with its website linking to books under the “resources” tab about transgenderism geared toward children aged 5-8. Also featured is the “Pyramid of Hate” which “illustrates the prevalence of bias, hate and oppression in our society.” 

“Administrators in the Clark County School District can better serve families by focusing on providing a sound basic education before delving into social issues,” Nicole Neily, president and founder of PDE, told Fox News Digital. “Parents expect that their schools will focus their finite time and treasure on teaching children the fundamentals – not siphoning off money for fashionable pet projects.  

“These students – and the community – deserve better than what Clark County Schools are providing.”