Kansas official links educators to Communist Party conspiracy - The Topeka Capital-Journal
cjonline.com
A Kansas school board member's Communist conspiracy claim against educators is a textbook case of moral panic and scapegoating — and reveals how fringe ideologies infiltrate mainstream institutions.
Moral PanicConspiracy TheoryScapegoatingSocial Identity Theory
Theory Briefing
- Kansas State Board of Education member Dennis Hershberger pushed a conspiracy theory linking educators to a Communist Party plot.
- The claim exemplifies moral panic theory — a perceived threat to social values amplified by authority figures to mobilize fear.
- Scapegoating educators as ideological agents reflects classic out-group blame dynamics, redirecting public anxiety onto trusted institutions.