The Hunter Biden Scandal

 

The Epoch Times has detailed the Hunter Biden Scandal for many months. Everyone should read this.

The Epoch Times:

Hunter Biden Laptop Scandal

and there's more:

Exclusive: Biden Defector’s Emails Reveal Hunter’s Associates Viewed Direct ‘Pipeline’ to Administration as ‘Currency’

Hunter Biden’s business associates spoke candidly in emails about Hunter Biden’s role in the business, particularly as it related to foreign ventures, apparently viewing the Biden name as a form of “currency,” and bragging that they had a “direct…pipeline” to the Obama-Biden Administration.

Betsy Combier

betsy.combier@gmail.com

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Twitter Won’t Unlock NY Post Account Until Hunter Biden Posts Deleted

BY JACK PHILLIPS

 

October 18, 2020 Updated: October 18, 2020

Twitter hasn’t unlocked the New York Post’s account, four days after the newspaper published several bombshell reports about Hunter Biden’s laptop and emails, according to several of the paper’s editors.

Emma-Jo Morris, a politics editor with the paper, wrote that it’s now “day 4” of Twitter blocking the Post’s “account access unless we self-censor.” The paper’s opinions editor, Sohrab Ahmari, also confirmed the locked account.

Biden’s campaign and Biden have disputed some of the allegations, with Biden saying that it’s a “smear campaign” in remarks delivered over the weekend.

“It’s now been four days since The Post dropped the first Hunter Files story, and neither Joe nor Hunter has disputed a single material fact,” Ahmari said on Twitter. “The easiest thing they could do is to say, ‘That laptop isn’t ours, Hunter didn’t send/receive those e-mails.’ Yet, they haven’t done that.”

As of the afternoon of Oct. 18, the Twitter account showed the NY Post’s last tweet was on Oct. 14.

“Anyone who looks at The Post’s Twitter feed can’t even see the tweets about the Biden stories, which have been replaced by messages saying, ‘This Tweet is no longer available,'” the Post wrote on Oct. 16.

A Twitter spokesperson told Fox News over the weekend that the Post “has been informed what is necessary to unlock their account.”

Both Twitter and Facebook have faced a bevy of criticism this week after the Post’s initial report on Hunter Biden was barred from being shared on Twitter and its reach being limited on Facebook.

That article, which used alleged emails that were sourced from a laptop, showed communication between Hunter Biden, son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and a Ukrainian energy company adviser. Hunter Biden’s work at Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian gas company that was started by an oligarch long accused by Ukrainian officials of corruption, was the focus of President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry and trial beginning last year.

Previously, Twitter said the newspaper’s articles violated the social media website’s hacked materials policy. The Post disputed the company’s assertions, saying: “Information in the reports came from data extracted from a MacBook Pro laptop that a Delaware repair shop owner has said was dropped off in April 2019 but never picked up.”

On Oct. 16, Twitter updated its policy, writing, “Our work to limit the spread of misleading information goes beyond elections. Starting today, before you Retweet or Quote Tweet any labeled Tweet that breaks our misleading information rules, you’ll see a prompt.”

Twitter said in a statement to the Post: “While we’ve updated the policy, we don’t change enforcement retroactively. You will still need to delete the Tweets to regain access to your account.”

A Facebook executive said last week that it would limit the reach of the article after fact-checkers determine the authenticity of the claims.

President Donald Trump and other top Republicans have now accused Twitter of engaging in censorship and election interference.

The move prompted the Senate Judiciary Committee to announce that it will vote to subpoena Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey about alleged election interference to support Biden’s candidacy.

A day later, the Republican National Committee filed a Federal Election Commission complaint targeting Twitter and Dorsey, claiming that online censorship of the Post’s article about Hunter Biden’s business dealings is an “illegal corporate in-kind political contribution” to Biden’s campaign.

The committee said it “believes that Twitter has violated [the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act] and the Commission’s Regulations by making corporate in-kind contributions to Biden for President,” according to the complaint. Fox News first reported on the filing on Oct. 16.

There have also been suggestions from Trump and other GOP lawmakers that under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, Twitter should be considered a publisher and therefore subject to lawsuits.

Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates told news outlets last week that Biden had “carried out official U.S. policy toward Ukraine and engaged in no wrongdoing,” and that some “Trump administration officials have attested to these facts under oath.”

The Epoch Times:

Hunter Biden Laptop Scandal

FBI Indicts Six Russian Intelligence Officers For Cyber-Attacks

 

                                                                    David Bowdich

Washington, D.C.

FBI National Press Office

(202) 324-3691

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Share on Twitter Twitter Share on FaOctober 19, 2020

FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich’s Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Cyber-Related Indictment of Six Russian Intelligence Officers

FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich delivered the following remarks during a press conference in Washington, D.C., with other Department of Justice officials announcing charges against six members of the GRU—Russia’s military intelligence agency—in connection with the worldwide deployment of destructive malware and other disruptive actions. (Remarks as delivered)

Good afternoon.

We’re here to turn a spotlight on the numerous, destructive cyber attacks which are perpetrated by the GRU—which as you heard is Russia’s military intelligence agency. This activity went well beyond traditional intelligence collection. The GRU targeted the global energy sector, international political groups, hospitals, and even the Olympics.

Time and again, Russia has made it clear they will not abide by accepted norms, and instead, they intend to continue their destructive and destabilizing cyber behavior. Of course, this threat is not new. We’ve been fighting the cyber threat for years now, addressing hack after hack, as our adversaries continue to escalate their crimes and use their capabilities not just to gather intelligence, but also to disrupt, degrade, and destroy.

We investigate one major hack, only to uncover another one. We are particularly concerned when nation-state adversaries target our critical infrastructure and our intellectual property, both here at home and abroad. These actors we’re talking about today are alleged to have developed and deployed the NotPetya destructive malware, which wreaked havoc across the entire globe.

NotPetya is considered one of the most destructive cyber attacks ever. Victims included a hospital in Pennsylvania, as you heard already. The cyber attack crippled that hospital’s operations. I'll not repeat what the U.S. attorney went through earlier, but in the end, as he mentioned, that included more than $2 million in damages to a hospital in the state of Pennsylvania.

The indictment also alleges this group was responsible for the Olympic Destroyer malware, which knocked the official 2018 Winter Olympics website offline and prohibited attendees from even being able to gain their event tickets.

These actors conducted these brazen attacks from the safety of their own country, but that does not mean that we should not and will not pursue them and hold them accountable. Whether you’re a cyber criminal turning profit from hacking or a Russian military intelligence officer who's intent on taking down infrastructure, these attacks will not be tolerated.

We will continue to work in tandem with our partners to impose risks and consequences on these actors however we can—whether it’s through indictments or other means. In this case, we brought the investigative resources and expertise of three different field offices, as you heard earlier—the Pittsburgh Field Office of the FBI, the Atlanta Field Office of the FBI, and Oklahoma City Field Office of the FBI. We brought them all together to attribute these attacks to the GRU.

We also want to thank this nation’s tech giants, including Google, Cisco, Facebook, and Twitter, for all stepping up and helping us with this investigation. This is more common that we work hand in hand with our private sector partners today than ever before. We’re going to continue to work together with our partners both at home and abroad, in law enforcement and in the private sector, to stop brazen cyber crime and hold these people accountable.

One thing I do want to take time to do is to thank the FBI agents and analysts and those employees that worked very diligently on this investigation. I also want to take the time to thank all the assistant United States attorneys, and from a Headquarters perspective, the Department of Justice here, and the FBI Headquarters Cyber Division personnel who worked very tirelessly on this investigation.

These investigations, as I've mentioned before, they are arduous, and they take diligence and they take tenacity to get them over the finish line. We're not yet there, but we are to the point of indictment. And that's why we're here today. The cyber threat continues to be daunting, but when we bring the right people, the right tools, and the right authorities, our adversaries, we believe, are no match to what we can accomplish together.

Resources

• Six Russian GRU Officers Charged in Connection with Worldwide Deployment of Destructive Malware and Other Disruptive Actions in Cyberspace
• GRU HACKERS' DESTRUCTIVE MALWARE AND INTERNATIONAL CYBER ATTACKS
• PETR NIKOLAYEVICH PLISKIN
• ARTEM VALERYEVICH OCHICHENKO
• ANATOLIY SERGEYEVICH KOVALEV
• PAVEL VALERYEVICH FROLOV
• YURIY SERGEYEVICH ANDRIENKO
• SERGEY VLADIMIROVICH DETISTOV

Justice Department Sues Google

 

Any company that by its size and influence monopolizes or mobs the general public must be sued.

Is this what Google is doing? We will find out what a court of law thinks. Seven more states may join in.

Here is the complaint filed October 20, 2020

COMPLAINT:

Attorney General William Barr:

“Today, millions of Americans rely on the Internet and online platforms...Competition in this industry is vitally important, which is why today’s challenge against Google...for violating antitrust laws is a monumental case both for the DOJ and for the American people.” — AG Barr"

Betsy Combier

betsy.combier@gmail.com

Editor, ADVOCATZ.com

Editor, ADVOCATZ Blog

Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
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"Justice Department to file landmark antitrust case against Google

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and MARCY GORDON

OCT. 20, 2020

5:58 AM

WASHINGTON —  

The Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Google has been abusing its dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.

The litigation marks the government’s most significant act to protect fair competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. The suit could be an opening salvo ahead of other major government antitrust actions, given ongoing investigations of major tech companies, including Apple, Amazon and Facebook, by both the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.

Lawmakers and consumer advocates have long accused Google, whose corporate parent, Alphabet, has a market value of just over $1 trillion, of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits. Critics contend that multibillion-dollar fines and mandated changes in Google’s practices imposed by European regulators in recent years weren’t severe enough and that structural changes are needed for Google to change its conduct.

The case is expected to be filed in federal court in Washington. Besides abuse of its dominance in online search, the suit will also allege that Google uses billions collected from advertisers to pay phone manufacturers to ensure that Google is the default search engine on browsers, the person familiar with the matter told the AP. The person could not discuss the matter publicly before a formal announcement expected later Tuesday morning and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Trump administration has long had Google in its sights. A top economic advisor to President Trump said two years ago that the White House was considering whether Google searches should be subject to government regulation. Trump himself has often criticized Google, recycling unfounded claims by conservatives that the search giant is biased against conservatives and suppresses their viewpoints, interferes with U.S. elections and prefers working with the Chinese military over the Pentagon.

Google accounts for about 90% of global web searches. The company has been bracing for the government’s action and is expected to fiercely oppose any attempt to force it to spin off its services into separate businesses.

The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., has long denied claims of unfair competition. Google argues that although its businesses are large, they are useful and beneficial to consumers. It maintains that its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives.

Most of its services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads. Google insists that it holds no special power to force people to use its free services or prevent them from going elsewhere.

AG Barr's statement:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Statement of the Attorney General on the Announcement Of Civil Antitrust Lawsuit Filed Against Google

Attorney General William P. Barr released the following statement:

“This morning the Department of Justice, along with eleven states, filed a civil lawsuit against Google for unlawfully maintaining a monopoly in general search services and search advertising in violation of the U.S. antitrust laws.  This is a monumental case for the Department of Justice and, more importantly, for the American consumer.

Today, millions of Americans rely on the Internet and online platforms for their daily lives.  For years, there have been broad, bipartisan concerns about business practices leading to massive concentrations of economic power in our digital economy.  Hearing those concerns, I have made it a primary commitment of my tenure as Attorney General for the Department of Justice to examine whether technology markets have been deprived of free, fair, and open competition.

To that end, the Department of Justice formally opened a review of online market-leading platforms in July 2019.  One part of this review is the Antitrust Division’s investigation of Google.  Over the course of the last 16 months, the Antitrust Division collected convincing evidence that Google no longer competes only on the merits but instead uses its monopoly power – and billions in monopoly profits – to lock up key pathways to search on mobile phones, browsers, and next generation devices, depriving rivals of distribution and scale.  The end result is that no one can feasibly challenge Google’s dominance in search and search advertising.

This lack of competition harms users, advertisers, and small businesses in the form of fewer choices, reduced quality (including on metrics like privacy), higher advertising prices, and less innovation.

The complaint filed today against Google is based on violations of the U.S. antitrust laws and is separate and distinct from concerns raised about content moderation and political censorship by online platforms.  As part of the Department’s broader review of market-leading online platforms, we listened to myriad public concerns about how online platforms fail their users.  While many of the concerns we heard were competition-related, others were not – like online child exploitation, public safety, and censorship.  Outside the Antitrust Division, the Department has considered these issues separately, including by advocating for Section 230 legislative reforms.  Our antitrust investigation of Google, by contrast, is based solely on traditional antitrust principles and is aimed at promoting consumer welfare through robust competition.  

Twenty-five years ago, the Department of Justice sued Microsoft, paving the way for a new wave of innovative tech companies – including Google.  The increased competition following the Microsoft case enabled Google to grow from a small start-up to an Internet behemoth.  Unfortunately, once Google itself gained dominance, it resorted to the same anticompetitive playbook.  If we let Google continue its anticompetitive ways, we will lose the next wave of innovators and Americans may never get to benefit from the “next Google.”  The time has come to restore competition to this vital industry.

Today’s challenge against Google – the monopoly gatekeeper of the Internet – shows the tremendous efforts of the Department, in particular the hardworking men and women of the Antitrust Division, and our state partners to restore competition in markets beholden to an unlawful monopolist.  This is an important milestone, but not the end of our review of market-leading online platforms.  The Department will continue to vigorously investigate and enforce the antitrust laws where appropriate to protect and promote competition in the digital economy for the benefit of the American consumer.”

Topic(s): 

Antitrust

Component(s): 

Office of the Attorney General

Press Release Number: 

20-1126

CATO Institute and Kerry McDonald on Education k-12 Choice in Pandemic Times

 

Kerry McDonald on Education Pandemonium

Khan Academy

Outschool.com

DECENTRALIZE K–12 EDUCATION

OCTOBER 6, 2020 JIM ZELLMER 0 COMMENTS

Corey DeAngelis and Neal McCluskey:

State policymakers should

• enact universal education savings accounts;

• allow any students who so desire to enroll in virtual charter schools up to a school’s capacity to serve them, and allow their public education dollars to follow them to such schools; and

• let schools and districts determine whether students are receiving sufficient education rather than prescribing such measures as “seat time” for all schools.

• end state testing mandates.

As COVID-19 cases—and fears—spread in March 2020, schools across the country increasingly faced a problem: how, if at all, would they deliver education if children could not physically attend? They would have to get education at home. Thankfully, about 1.7 million American kids were already doing that. They were, of course, homeschoolers, and their existence after essentially being outlawed in every state as recently as the 1970s is both proof that children can learn at home and a ready source of advice and support for the more than 50 million American children who were enrolled in brick‐ and‐ mortar schools.

Homeschooling is the most visible sign of how educational decentralization can provide resilience in the face of a national emergency. But it’s not the only one: what the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear in education is that one size cannot fit all, and we must not try to force it.

Homeschooling

Homeschooling has had a huge moment with COVID-19, and the country is fortunate to have homeschoolers. Homeschooling families have provided invaluable guidance to parents suddenly faced with children learning at home. Homeschoolers told those parents not to fear—that learning at home is an adjustment and that parents are not failing if their children struggle to complete their work, intersperse fun activities, or even loaf a little between academic efforts. Homeschoolers let them know that children spending only a few hours on schoolwork, where previously they were in school from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., is not a sign that kids are not learning—education can proceed much more quickly when teachers do not have to take roll, hand back papers, stop for misbehaving or struggling classmates, line students up and march from the classroom to the gym, and more time‐ consuming activities.

Matt Vespa: What's With Kamala Harris' Wife-Beater Bail Out Fund

                                       Kamala Harris   [Source: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster]
 

Uh, So What's With This Wife Beater Bail Out Fund Kamala Harris Promoted For Months

Matt Vespa, Townhall, September 23, 2020

Well, I don’t know how much of an impact this is going to have, but it appears Kamala Harris might have a wife beater problem. The Daily Caller News Foundation sifted through some documents to find that the California liberal who was fond of locking up any person for smoking pot as a prosecutor, also peddled a bail fund that helped set free serial domestic abusers. Oh, and the latter didn’t happen like 10 years ago. It was last June. The party of women has Joe Biden’s running mate peddling a fund that’s helping wife beaters be set free. Is that a good look? No. Hell no. And she’s still promoting it (via DCNF):

A bail fund promoted by Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris helped bail out of jail six men accused of domestic violence between June and August, court documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.

Two of the men face felony charges for allegedly strangling women in their own homes, and another stands accused of beating his girlfriend upwards of six times with a closed fist, records show. All but one of the individuals had been convicted of prior domestic violence-related charges when the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) helped bail them out of jail, according to court records.

Harris, a California senator, encouraged her supporters to donate to the MFF in June. The fundraising link she posted to Twitter sports her branding and was still accepting donations as of Tuesday.

Harris told her followers that contributions to the fund would “help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota” against the police-custody death of George Floyd.

[…]

The DCNF previously reported that in the months since Harris promoted the MFF, the fund has helped post bail for people accused of violent crimes, including Timothy Wayne Columbus, who faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, according to court records.

Donavan Dexter Boone, 31, was arrested May 2 after he allegedly broke into his son’s mother’s apartment and proceeded to strangle her in front of her minor children, according to a statement of probable cause.

DCNF noted more profiles in their piece while adding that only six percent of Minnesota Freedom Fund’s contributions during the leftist rioting went to bailing out these thugs. Are we shocked? No. Democratic politics is fraught with hypocrisy and double standards. Hey, during these riots, all sorts of thugs were arrested and then released back onto the streets. Why not wife beaters? It’s in keeping with the Left’s abject embrace of lawlessness because Trump is president. It’s also the reason why Independent and soft Trump voters are coming back into the camp as Election Day nears. No one wants this nonsense. And all normal people see is Democrats endorsing it and advocating for it. 

Sadly, we'll see if this catches on due to the Supreme Court fight brewing on the Hill in the wake of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death. It should creep its way into the VP debate, however. We'll see. 

Bethany Mandel: Say No To Remote Learning

 

My interest in posting on this blog is to seek the most diverse array of opinions possible, on current issues.

Certainly the pre-k to 12th grade education journey is a current issue, a minefield.

Parents have strong opinions, as they should. My vote goes to all parents being open to their children about their options, and then supporting them while they proceed. Also, all parents should make time to speak with the teacher at the school often enough to get a clear picture about how the child is doing.

Communication is key.

Betsy Combier

betsy.combier@gmail.com

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‘Remote learning’ is a disaster, and terrible for children

by Bethany Mandel, NY POST, September 16, 2020

At every pediatrician appointment for the last several years, I’ve been asked about how much “screen time” my kids are getting. I’m reminded by the doctor that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children younger than two avoid digital media other than video chatting. And for children ages 2 to 5, the limit is supposed to be one hour of high-quality children’s programming per day.

It wasn’t just pediatricians sounding the alarm on the dangers of screen time. Every child expert for the last decade has warned about the dangers of too much: in young kids its impact on brain development, fine and gross motor skills; and for everyone its linkage to obesity and short attention spans. A growing kids podcast industry has sprouted trying to offer parents screen-free alternatives, and one of the most popular topics of conversation in parenting groups is weaning kids off of screens.

Those days of warning about screen time are gone.

Over the summer, the AAP released its recommendations for the coming school year and unequivocally pushed for “[the] goal of having students physically present in school.” And yet, despite their lengthy recommendations on the importance of reopening schools and details regarding how to do so safely, there wasn’t a single mention of how detrimental all-day online learning would be for children, especially those in elementary school.

The importance of in-person learning, yes. The detriments of distancing learning, no.

In countless homeschooling Facebook groups I’m a member of, we see new arrivals asking for guidance on where to begin homeschooling. These exasperated parents explain they are pulling the plug on distance learning because their kids simply can’t handle it. Friends post pictures of their children curled in a ball facing away from the desk after several hours, others describe screaming, sobbing and outbursts after children as young as five are left feeling fried after being expected to stay engaged six hours a day online.

What benefit is there to keeping kids tied to these screens all day, every day? How much learning is even happening? My friend Mary explained that she chose homeschool instead of distance learning this year because she didn’t want to be a “Zoom butler.”

Another friend described all of the “impossible” technical expectations of her daughter’s teachers for students who have never used PowerPoint or even manipulated a mouse, and explained, “This requires full caregiver engagement.”

Rory Cooper, a father in Virginia tweeted this week, “I just got a brisk two-line email from my kid’s Kindergarten teacher informing us that our 5 [year old] isn’t participating in ‘virtual class’ and I’m fuming. He didn’t draw a monster. This is day 6. Note: they asked parents to not participate and let kids be independent. Nevertheless we are *very* much involved. BUT HE’S 5.”

Responding to a viral TikTok video showing a teacher spend five minutes trying to show a student how to unmute his mic, Noah Rothman, a father in New Jersey tweeted “On the other end [of the screen] are around 20+ children who are being told to click the chat box, fill out the form, submit the form, and click the mute button when done to tell the teacher they’re all set, but who cannot read yet so needs you to do it all for them.”

For older kids it’s also exhausting, but as teenagers do, they find a way around being glued to Zoom all day. The father of one teen told me most of the class time is spent trying to make sure everyone is paying attention. Another caretaker for kids distance learning told me about how students in local classes have figured out how to take a screenshot of themselves looking engaged and set that as their photo, set their computers to be muted, and then go watch television in another room.

Naomi Shafer Riley, resident fellow at AEI and the author of Be the Parent Please, a book with tough love for parents struggling with how to handle screen time told me, “Watching a young child on a screen for several hours at a time is like witnessing the life being sapped out of them. I don’t mean to exaggerate but we know that excessive screen time is correlated with higher rates of obesity, shorter attention spans, and a decreased ability to read emotional cues from other people.”

Meghan Cox Gurdon, the author of a landmark book, “The Enchanted Hour,” on the power of reading out loud in our distracted world told me, “What kids are getting from Zoom sessions tends to be so thin, so stretched from connection and feeling. It’s not a knock against teachers, it’s the medium, it’s just not good enough, not human enough.”

Gurdon recommends parents spend an hour a day reading to their children instead. She explains, “The brilliant thing with books — with poetry and nonfiction and storybooks and goofy picture books and classic novels and books at every level — is that you have curated language that is much broader than anything a teacher will say over Zoom or that you and your children may say to each other in the course of daily life.”

The answer to fixing education this year isn’t just reading out loud, but it is surprising how much even an older child can gain from the practice.

What’s clear is that distance-learning isn’t just a waste of time, it is actually doing harm to children. And worst of all, it is those we have entrusted with their safety that are putting it in jeopardy.

Twitter: @bethanyshondark

NY State School Districts' Teachers Want Remote Classes Only; Buffalo Teachers File For Injunction Against In-Classroom Work

Superintendent Scott Martzloff announces the delay of classes for grades 5-12 in
western New York's Williamsville Central School District in a video message.

Western New York school district delays classes after wave of teacher resignations and leaves of absence

(CNN)A school district outside Buffalo, New York, has delayed the start of online-only learning programs for grades 5-12 because of mass staff resignations and leaves of absence, the superintendent announced on Friday.

In a letter to families, Williamsville Central School District Superintendent Scott Martzloff said 90 staff members have taken a leave of absence due to Covid-19 and 111 staff members resigned.

Additionally, 2,361 students opted into online-only learning, including 1,375 middle and high school students, creating more than 80 virtual teacher vacancies, the letter reads.

Due to the reduction in staffing, school will be delayed until further notice for all students grades 5 through 12 in the online-only learning model, Martzloff said.

Once adequate staffing arrangements are made, the district will notify families of a new start date, Martzloff said in a video posted online.

Students in the hybrid instructional model or K-4 online-learning only will begin classes on September 8 as originally scheduled, according to the letter.

Students are not allowed to switch instructional models until after October 1, when they will be allowed to switch once, Martzloff said.

The school board announced in a letter Saturday that they were unaware of the change for remote learners, and were told on September 2 that was the school was ready to start school on September 8. The board will hold a special online meeting Sunday to discuss the matter further.

"We sincerely apologize to the families that are impacted by this last-minute decision and we will work with the District to ensure students in grades 5-12 who are in the remote online learning model can start their school year as soon as possible," the letter said.

The school district's website says it is the largest suburban school district in western New York with a projected 9,919 students enrolled in the 2020-21 school year.

CNN has reached out to the New York State Department of Education for comment.

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore wants a judge to issue an injunction stopping
the district from forcing teachers to be in the classroom even as students learn from home.

BTF court action could impact Buffalo district's reopening

Jay Rey, Sep 2, 2020 Updated Sep 3, 2020

Buffalo Public Schools and its teachers union are headed to court – again – this time over whether the 3,600 Buffalo teachers need to report to school while the students are learning from home.

The two sides, no strangers to settling their conflicts in the court room, confirmed a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday when they will meet virtually with State Supreme Court Justice Frank A. Sedita III.

The BTF is hoping the judge will issue a temporary restraining order. That would prevent the district from forcing teachers to work from their classrooms two days a week, during this period of remote instruction, until a full hearing can be conducted on the health and safety concerns being raised by the teachers union.

At that full hearing, the union would seek a more permanent injunction until the matter could be resolved during the arbitration process, explained BTF President Philip Rumore.

But arbitration could take months, which would be “disastrous” for the school district and its ability to eventually reopen in-person amid the Covid-19 pandemic when that time comes, said Nathaniel Kuzma, general counsel for the school district.

“Even in an expedited fashion it will take months,” Kuzma said, “and any hopes to returning students to the school building at all will be significantly diminished.”

Kuzma on Wednesday pointed the finger squarely at Rumore, the long-time union president. Fighting with the district continues to erode the trust in the city’s education system and drive families away to the private and charter schools, he said.

“This is Phil. I don’t think this is the majority of teachers,” Kuzma said. “He has been teeing this up from the beginning.”

The teachers union, which called for a remote start to the school year, has been threatening legal action all summer if teachers are uncomfortable with the district's reopening plan.

The district announced a couple weeks ago that it would begin the school year Sept. 8 with all students learning from home. It plans to reevaluate the decision four to six weeks after opening day.

But the district still wants teachers to teach remotely from their classrooms two days a week, understanding some may not be able to do so for health reasons.

This week, teachers started professional development and are scheduled to set up their classrooms on Friday.

Rumore, meanwhile, said many schools still lack adequate air filters, and windows don't open in some classrooms in older buildings. He said protocols for testing, temperature screenings and cleaning the buildings are inadequate.

Rumore pointed to a poll of teachers over the weekend that found 1,866, or 70% of those surveyed, oppose the district's reopening plan and do not think it provides safe conditions in schools. Thirty percent, or 789 teachers, believe that it is safe for them to return to the classroom. There were 2,655 teachers voting, out of about 3,600 teachers, Rumore said.

The union filed a grievance last week and sought the court’s intervention.