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Oley Valley in Berks County used to have a relatively calm, functional school board that trusted educators and stayed out of national culture war battles. That changed after a slate of hard-right Republicans and Moms for Liberty aligned candidates took control starting in 2021, bringing a wave of bigotry, conspiracy theories, and behind the scenes scheming that has fractured the community and pushed students and teachers to the background.
The new conservative bloc came in on a platform of “transparency” and fearmongering about “critical racist theory” and parental rights. Once in power, Republican board members Aaron Keller and Maria Bogdanova Peifer used openly homophobic and transphobic rhetoric to oppose basic Title IX protections for LGBTQ students. Keller declared at a public meeting that “there’s two genders, just two” and suggested that hiring a transgender or nonbinary staff member would put students at risk, language that directly targets vulnerable kids in the district.
As the board moved further right, the extremism escalated. In 2024, the Republican majority voted to cancel a contract with the American Red Cross because members repeated a national right wing conspiracy that the organization helps “facilitate illegal immigration.” Parents described the move as disgusting and wildly detached from reality, especially in a small Pennsylvania district nowhere near the southern border.
At the same time, the new majority pushed for armed guards, arming teachers, book bans, and constant micromanagement of administrators, driving out long time board members and even the superintendent. Residents who initially expected the Republicans to be responsible and fiscally conservative instead watched them chase culture war fights while basic governance stalled. One board member, a holdover from the pre takeover era, said the board has “accomplished nothing” and lost all focus on students.
The crisis exploded further when the board appointed Republican Christina Moyer to fill a vacancy and parents discovered that her garage door, facing the high school, had a faded swastika and the words “Heil Hitler” on it that had been visible for years. Moyer claimed she simply had not gotten around to painting over it, promised to resign, then refused to step down. The board ultimately censured her but kept her in place, forcing parents to sue to try to remove a director with Nazi imagery on her property.
That lawsuit has since been expanded to target the entire Oley Valley school board after allegations that Republican members held a secret “barn” meeting at the request of a county GOP chair to pre select their preferred candidates for open seats. According to the complaint, Republican members Bogdanova Peifer, Candice Corle, Mary Harris, and Sharon Kershner met privately with party officials and hand picked candidates, then voted as a bloc to install them days later. If proven, the meeting may violate Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act, which requires public business and deliberation to occur in the open.
Parents behind the lawsuit say what is happening in Oley Valley is exactly what Republicans promised to stop. A slate that campaigned on transparency and protecting kids has instead embraced secrecy, extremism, and party loyalty over students. Long time residents, including some who once trusted the GOP candidates, now say the board’s agenda is clear. It is not about education or children, it is about their politics.