A Rhode Island educator is speaking out about a DHS-funded program that purportedly promotes the teaching of media literacy and combating disinformation she claims is meant to "indoctrinate children."
Ramona Bessinger, a high school teacher in Providence, R.I., authored a piece for Legal Insurrection on Monday recalling the training she and other educators participated in last fall, blowing the whistle she says on an initiative from the University of Rhode Island's Media Education Lab called Courageous RI.
"Starting in September 2023, I attended a twelve-week online training through ‘Courageous Rhode Island’ at the University of Rhode Island, funded by a DHS grant of over $700,000," Bessinger wrote in her report. "The program is for K-12 teachers and is promoted as ‘media literacy.’ But it’s so much more than media literacy, and the impact of the training turned to teacher interaction with students and how students could be utilized as reporting sources."
Courageous RI's website acknowledges it receives "support from the Department of Homeland Security," saying it "works to prevent rising violence and extremism in Rhode Island with authentic and respectful conversation."
"Confront the many forms of disinformation, hoaxes, and propaganda that are part of everyday life. Experience the practical power of strategies for critically analyzing media messages that shape public opinion about education. Consider the power of media literacy as a civic skill and examine how people of all ages learn to spot disinformation and hoaxes," the "Courageous Conversations" curriculum reads.
During her training, Bessinger, who identifies as conservative, said Courageous RI was "hyper-focused" on former President Trump, pointing to him as the "root cause of all social media and media disinformation" and inspiring violent extremism, citing Jan. 6 while ignoring left-wing extremism.
"In the breakout sessions and project sessions, some teachers complained about their students with opposing views. According to one facilitator, these students were part of the ‘outer-group’ and would need to be brought back into the 'inner-group' specifically conservative students that may have outwardly expressed support for Trump," Bessinger said. "These students were considered ‘violent extremist MAGA Republicans’ in the making. At every juncture, Trump was attacked and used to make the point that ‘violent extremism’ and "disinformation" were a result of 'influencing entrepreneurs' like Trump. When I asked for specific examples illustrating their point, none were forthcoming."
The online curriculum itself takes aim at "Republican elites" including Trump who they accuse of "utilizing conspiracy theories."
"The last five years have witnessed Republican elites in government and media (most notably Donald Trump) utilizing conspiracy theories in a way unprecedented in the last half century of American politics, and with severe, deleterious consequences for democratic institutions," the curriculum reads. "This alone has encouraged renewed conjecture about an asymmetry in conspiracy theory beliefs. However, elites are an imperfect reflection of the public––they have different goals, incentives, and knowledge about politics. Moreover, elite rhetoric rarely changes predispositions, such as conspiracy thinking, so much as it activates predispositions and connects them to salient political choices... In other words, while Republican elites may have recently activated conspiratorial predispositions among supporters in the mass public––where they exist––in a way that Democratic elites did not, they are unlikely to be able to cause once non-conspiratorial supporters to become highly conspiratorial."
Bessinger's report accuses Courageous RI of co-opting the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System created to receive warnings of potential terrorism or school shooter suspects she fears will expand surveillance of political speech at the school level. Other programs like NewsELA (News English Language Arts), which encourages educators to incorporate news articles and current events into their teachings, are promoted but Bessinger warns it "aggregates left-wing, progressive news stories."
She also said the program promoted "Performative Activism and Protests," encouraging teachers to "instruct children on how to stage student walk-outs and protests." Courageous RI also hosts a "youth media contest" offering thousands of dollars in cash and prizes for students to create a presentation that addresses the question "How can media literacy, active listening, kindness and compassion, and community engagement reduce the hate and fear that leads to violence?"
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"Ms, Bessinger raises very serious issues as to the propriety of a federally-funded, DHS-administered 'anti-disinformation' program that reaches down to teachers and students, William Jacobson, Cornell law professor and founder of the Legal Insurrection blog and the Equal Protection Project, tells Fox News Digital. "DHS previously had to shut down its Disinformation Governance Board after public outrage. Yet similar 'disinformation' tactics are being implemented under the guise of media literacy training. I call on the House of Representatives to investigate this DHS program."
Jacobson says Bessinger's experience suggests that "media literacy" being taught in schools, particularly programs like Courageous RI that receive DHS funding, can be a "Trojan Horse," turning educators and students into "de facto government informers."
"Whether that was the intent or simply the implication, it raises substantial questions as to why the federal government is paying for and implementing such a program," Jacobson tells Fox News Digital. "Legal Insurrection Foundation, which is devoted to protecting our individual liberties, is concerned about the weaponization of politicized 'anti-disinformation' campaigns, particularly when funded by the government. By bringing forward Ms. Bessinger's personal experience with the URI program, we hope to spark a much-needed debate over whether anti-disinformation campaigns have become a source of disinformation."
A spokesperson for the DHS sent Fox News Digital a statement, stating that the purpose of the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program, which awarded Courageous RI funds, is to "ensure safe and secure communities through prevention of violence."
"Violence prevention is non-partisan and ideologically agnostic. The TVTP Grant Program and grant recipients are legally and ethically required to adhere to policies and procedures that prohibit discrimination based on any protected class or belief," the statement continued. "The TVTP program’s purpose is to provide communities with educational, technical, and financial support to help them establish and expand networks and resources that prevent targeted violence and terrorism of any kind, for any reason."
Media Education Lab didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
