Trigger warning: we reference sexual assault multiple times in the latter half of this post, both directly from Linda’s own words (audio provided) and the testimony against Donald Trump by one of his adolescent victims. Please prioritize your well-being if reading about this may be detrimental to your mental health.
As we stated at the end of Part 1, someone with the Christian nationalist biases of Linda Vermooten – as well as her lack of understanding of U.S. public schools – should not be making decisions for our children.
However, in the summer of 2023, Linda decided that was what she needed to do – tell teachers how to teach, students what to learn, and parents lie after lie about what our children are and are not learning in public schools.
Prior to that, she had already made her anti-transgender views known by testifying in front of the Nebraska Legislature. Linda Vermooten believes people are transgender because they were raped as children or because they’re autistic.
On her website and in her carefully cultivated campaign materials, she bills herself as a common sense conservative, someone here to save our public schools. From what, exactly?
Apparently “indoctrination” (or actually allowing our children to be the people they are), “pornography” (which committee after committee has yet to find in our public schools), teaching children historical truths (if you whitewash history, the bad stuff just goes away), and comprehensive sex education (because if children don’t know how to protect themselves, we can have more teen pregnancies to fill our already overburdened foster care system with even more children whose parents are challenged in caring for them, let alone themselves).
These are the things that, according to her, tear apart the fabric of our country, the one she emigrated to as a missionary (she seems to believe she’s an expert on voting in the United States). Everything Linda Vermooten says is part of the hardcore alt-right rhetoric being used to instill fear and hate in people, and sow division in our country.
Linda’s website repeats everything Terri Cunningham-Swanson’s website said when Terri ran for school board in Plattsmouth. She states that her professional experience includes working in education by teaching English as a second language and as a professor at Grace University. She also had a private counseling practice, which apparently involves invalidating survivors of trauma and rape. Somehow, telling people not to be how they are (if they are LGBTQIA) is considered, by Linda, being “a champion of children.” As parents, we’re disturbed by her obsession with children, considering she herself is a childless person.
Finally, she says she belongs to the nationally-known cult, Lord of Hosts Church in Millard, a neighborhood in the Omaha metro. On her campaign’s Facebook page, you can see pictures of her teaching vacation Bible school there and talking with the children about her candidacy.
If you aren’t familiar with Lord of Hosts Church, it’s worth delving into their beliefs, including their election denial and the pastor’s belief that Biden is a “body double” or someone wearing a mask… like a Scooby Doo villain. Lord of Hosts is known for its fascist views, and you can dig even deeper behind the scenes by reading The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, which details author Jeff Sharlet’s visit to the church. It was a chilling encounter with armed goons from the church, to say the least.
A vote for Linda Vermooten is a vote for Moms for Liberty
The fact that Linda Vermooten is part of the nationwide attack on librarians, teachers and our LGBTQIA youth should come as no surprise. She uses the same rhetoric as the far right, sowing the seeds of distrust, fear, and hatred in anyone who will listen.
She proudly signed the Moms for Liberty Pledge – even posed with it for a picture – and has gone from school to school in the metro to tell parents that teachers are handing their kids porn. She also believes teachers can and should be arrested for giving students books. Why?
Because according to her, reading books such as The Handmaid’s Tale will lead to an addiction to pornography. Never mind the fact that these books have greater context and are not erotic in the slightest.
In addition to attending events to promote election denialism, such as the one at which debunked conspiracy theorist Douglas Frank spoke at Round the Bend Steakhouse a couple of weeks ago, Linda attended the Republican National Convention as a delegate for the state of Nebraska.
Linda Vermooten is a Proud Trump Delegate
Why did Linda Vermooten go to the RNC to cast her vote for Trump, a proven pedophile (please note – this testimony is graphic) and rapist? Linda claims she is “passionate protector of children’s innocence.” What about the 12-year-old Trump forced to give him oral sex? The 12-year-old who Donald Trump forced to perform oral sex on other teenage girls?
Linda mentions children and innocence multiple times on her website, yet she also proudly cast her vote for Trump at the RNC. So, we have some questions for Linda Vermooten, since she supposedly stands for the “innocence of children.”
Remember the “Protect Our Kids” event on July 20, 2023, hosted by Roberta Adams (Robbie Adams) and Tracee Westergard-Baker of Moms for Liberty? Linda was one of a handful of speakers, along with Tiffany Carter (Nebraska’s anti-library library commissioner), Ed Weniger (for whom there is a long list of reasons why Papillion-LaVista voters should reject him for their school board) and Terri Cunningham-Swanson (the first person in the United States to lose an election in 2024).
During her speech, Linda Vermooten said of public schools: “Every day, your child is raped. Yes, they are raped. How? Emotionally and psychologically.”
Listen for yourself and skip to the 13:45 minute mark of this audio if you can’t wait to hear Linda’s statement.
In view of that, Linda, and since you claim to be an expert, we would like to know:
- Is what children learn, read or see everyday in public school worse than Donald Trump’s sexual assault of adolescent girls?
- How was the brain of the 12-year-old girl raped by Donald Trump affected by that event?
- What kind of trauma would she have suffered over the years because Donald Trump sexually assaulted her?
- How does that compare to the trauma you claim children suffer by attending our public schools?
- Which is worse: Donald Trump traumatizing a 12-year-old girl by forcing her to perform sexual acts on himself and others, or that same preteen reading a challenged book?
We have also forwarded these questions directly to Linda, however we don’t anticipate any response.
Ironically, Linda’s “Champion for the Children” ad was filmed at First Baptist School in Plattsmouth which, in 2022, had not only one of its Bible teachers arrested, but also a Sunday School teacher from the associated church arrested. Both men were charged with – as you probably already expect – sexually abusing children.
Regarding, Linda’s claims of porn in public schools and her support of book banning, banning books is a dangerous practice that has detrimental effects both on teachers and students. When books that include age-appropriate depictions of assault, abuse, and toxic relationships are made less accessible to students, they don’t learn to recognize red flags. Books like this aren’t banned for fear of “porn.” They are banned to prevent the development of empathy and to silence voices, especially those of children who see themselves and their experiences reflected in their pages.
Why? Because if children don’t learn to speak for themselves – if they are kept in ignorance and not allowed to find their own voices – then they are more obedient and easier to groom by Christian nationalists such as Linda Vermooten, Donald Trump, and those who think like them. This makes sense, because a recent study found that Trump voters with right wing authoritarian inclinations reject democratic norms. Gilead may become more than a fictitious place if people like Linda Vermooten are elected.
As we’ve also mentioned, Linda is known for her cozy relationship with Terri Cunningham-Swanson, the Plattsmouth school board member who was recalled for doing all the things Linda also promises to do. Terri is the best example of what you can expect if Linda Vermooten, Lisa Schonhoff, or Liz Davis are elected to the Nebraska State Board of Education: book banning, silencing our students, and criminalizing our teachers and librarians.
Linda Vermooten, Liz Davids, Lisa Schonhoff, and LeDonna White Griffin have only one agenda, and that is to destroy our public schools.
Oh, and if you see Linda at Gretna Days this Saturday, July 27, maybe ask her the same questions we asked here. We’d love to know how she responds.