MVP math suing Wake County parent for 'libel and slander' after he criticized program

An attorney for the Utah-based Mathematics Vision Project, or MVP, said the company decided to sue parent Blain Dillard after he made "false statements" about the company. Dillard says he is "innocent of all allegations and can defend each and every point made in the summons."

MVP attorney Joseph Shapiro told WRAL News the company "believes in and supports public discourse, especially relating to the education of our children. Society has, however, placed limits on public discourse. One of those limits is a restriction against false statements. MVP’s legal action against Mr. Dillard is an effort to preserve these boundaries and maintain the civility, dignity, and productiveness of public discourse."

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Dillard has spoken at numerous Wake County Board of Education meetings and with the news media about his dislike of MVP, which he says caused his 10th grade son to go from being an A and B math student to failing the subject in a short time period.

In an email Tuesday, Dillard said MVP's lawsuit "is an attempt at intimidation and bullying to silence my and other parents' free speech advocating for our children's education." Dillard's supporters have created a GoFundMe page to raise money for his defense against MVP.

Karen Carter, another parent who has been critical of MVP, emailed local, state and national education leaders Tuesday to show support for Dillard.

"Is this the type of company WCPSS is comfortable being in business with? One that sues parents?" Carter wrote. "How can WCPSS parents and taxpayers be assured that their money, which WCPSS gave to MVP for various services, licensing fees, etc., isn't being used to sue one of our own citizens? Although WCPSS cannot control MVP'S actions, they can control giving more taxpayer money to them which can be used to go after one of the district's parents."

Lisa Luten, a spokeswoman for the Wake County Public School System, said the district learned of the lawsuit when a reporter called. She did not have any other information or comment to share.

Carter says she believes the company's lawsuit is a "blatant attempt to hush parents up across the nation if your district uses MVP."

"What have we come to when a curriculum developer is out there suing parents for voicing concerns?" she said.

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Board members discussed the appeal in closed session earlier this month. They plan to discuss it further and make a final decision on Aug. 6. After Tuesday's vote, board Chair Jim Martin said it's important to remember that board members do not make curriculum decisions, but they can determine whether their staff reviewed the curriculum and parents' complaints appropriately.

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Wake schools has invested more than $1.4 million in MVP math since the program launched last year. MVP says its materials "have received top marks in unbiased curriculum reviews, have been selected by numerous school districts and schools for classroom use and have been deployed with great success in the United States and internationally."

Wake school leaders say they hope to share more data about the program this fall, when new numbers come in. They also plan to have a separate, third party do an audit of the program this fall.