Petition Over Megyn Kelly Sparks Debate in Bethlehem School District

Petition Calls for Kelly's Removal

A growing online petition calling for conservative media personality Megyn Kelly to be removed from Bethlehem Central High School’s Hall of Fame has prompted a response from the school district.

The school, however, says the controversy stems from a misunderstanding.

School Claims "Misunderstanding"

The petition, which has gathered nearly 800 signatures, urges the district to strip Kelly, 55, a Bethlehem High School graduate and former Fox News and NBC News anchor, of the honor.

Kelly currently hosts a talk show on SiriusXM, where recent comments she made about court documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein sparked backlash.

“He [Epstein] liked the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were, but would look legal to a passerby,” Kelly said on her program. “There’s a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old, you know?”

Hall of Fame Hasn't Existed for Years

But according to a CBS 6 News report, the Bethlehem Central School District says the Hall of Fame in question hasn’t existed for years.

Superintendent Jody Monroe tells CBS 6 that the high school’s Hall of Fame was officially decommissioned in 2021. The volunteer committee in charge of nominations determined it was no longer “an appropriate use of their time or district resources” to evaluate the lives and actions of adults long after they graduated.

Monroe says the Hall of Fame display was removed from school hallways and scrubbed from the district website at that time.

“The district's mission is rooted in four core values: academics, character, community, and wellness. Fame is not among them,” Monroe said in a statement.
“Sometimes achieving or sustaining fame means abandoning the values we try to instill in our students. We have the utmost respect for our alumni who uphold these values every day.”

With the Hall of Fame discontinued, officials say there is no longer a mechanism to remove or reconsider past inductees, including Megyn Kelly.