AG Cox Shifts to 'Happy to Help' Mode After ASD Brings Receipts
Uh-oh. Someone has a little egg on their face.
Alaska Attorney General Stephen J. Cox moved last week to soften his position in a nonsensical dispute with the Anchorage School District over the handling of editorialized Hillsdale College propaganda packets, offering a markedly more conciliatory tone after the district provided documentation showing that the underlying policy issue originated during former superintendent Deena Bishop’s tenure.
In a written reply dated Nov. 21, Cox told the district he “appreciate[s] the school district’s desire to review their processes and take corrective action” and commended ASD for doing so, adding that his office “remains available to assist with the review, but at your option.” The letter, addressed to ASD’s counsel, Matthew Singer, makes no further demands and reframes the state’s earlier concerns as limited to general “policies and processes,” rather than the specific handling of the Hillsdale propaganda pamphlets.
The shift comes days after ASD issued a detailed account rejecting Cox’s earlier false assertions that district staff had improperly applied a disclaimer to Hillsdale materials. In its Nov. 18 response, the district revealed the disclaimer sticker was added by a third-party following a rule adopted under Bishop that required outside materials to be labeled before distribution in schools. The district also disclosed that an identical concern had first been raised directly with Bishop in May 2021, and that she curiously did not respond or take steps to modify the policy at the time. Whoops!
Cox’s latest letter does not address the conflict-of-interest question raised by the school district, nor does it repeat or defend the claims raised in his earlier communication. Instead, it emphasizes the Department of Law’s general commitment to “enforcing and defending all of Alaska’s laws” and offers assistance only “if further assistance is desired.” The letter was copied to Bishop in her capacity as Commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development.
Cox’s more, uh...muted response suggests the state may be distancing itself from earlier claims as the district’s account and Bishop’s documented awareness of the issue in 2021 becomes clearer.
And that, as we say, is that.
